AND 


"THE  FACTS  OF  THE  STORY  Of  THE  MOVE M 
OPERATIONS  OF  THE  Fi.  YING  SQUADRON  / 
AUTHOR  TELLS  THEM  IN  THIS  BOOK  ARE  C 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 

GIFT  OF 

HOPE  DOERING 


The  above  Illustration  reproduces,  in 
on  board  the  U.  S.  S.  Brooklyn  to  i\ 

"THE  ENEMY  HA 


..*•*••• 


o/ors,  the  original  signal  flags  used 
nounce  to  the  remainder  of  the  fleet 

SURRENDERED" 


X  * 


XJ'^f 


Copyright,  1898,  by  B.  J.  Falk,  Waldorf-Astoria,  New  York. 

W.  S.  SCHI.EY,  REAR  ADMIRAL  U.  S.  N, 


*+ 


JCHLEY 


AND 


.SANTIAGO 


A  N    HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT  of  the  BLOCKADE  and 
FINAL   DESTRUCTION  of  the  SPANISH   FLEET  under 
command  of  Admiral  PASQUALE  CERVERA,  July  3,  1898 


By  GEORGE  EDWARD  GRAHAM,  together  with  a 
PERSONAL  NARRATIVE  of  the  Fight,  by  Rear-Admiral 
WINFIELD  SCOTT  SCHLEY,  U.  S.  N. 


Illustrated  with    Photographs  taken   by  the  Author  during 
the  Cruise,  and  during  the  Battle. 


CHICAGO 
THE  HOME  PUBLISHING  CO. 

PUBLISHERS 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


COPYRIGHT,     1002 

BY 

W.    B.    CONKEY    COMPANY 

ALL     RIGHTS     RESERVED 


"Mankind  measures  a  soldier's  ability  by  his 
successes.  As  victory  is  the  aim  of  all  strategy  and 
tactics ',  it  is  proper  that  generalship  should  be  judged 
by  the  results  attained.  'The  immutable  principles  of 
war  should  be  carried  out  whenever  it  is  possible  to 
do  soy  but  when  they  conflict ,  the  leader  must  carry 
out  those  which  offer  the  greatest  advantages.^ 

— Old  Book  on  War  Tactics. 


*j.  «%rjffiv 


TRIBUTE 


TO 


REAR-ADMIRAL    SCHLET 


Admiral  GEORGE   DEtTET,  U.  S.  N. 

Commander-in-Chief  of  the  entire  Naval  Force, 
Victor  at  Manila  Bay,  and  President  of  the 
Naval  Court  of  Inquiry: 

"Commodore  Schley  was  the  senior  officer  of  our  squadron 
off  Santiago  when  the  Spanish  squadron  attempted  to  escape. 
He  was  in  absolute  command,  and  is  entitled  to  the  credit  due 
to  such  commanding  officer  for  the  glorious  victory  which 
resulted  in  the  total  destruction  of  the  Spanish  ships" 


INTRODUCTION 


*+S        4+"     X 


PREFACE 

THE  publishers  present  this  book  to  the  public  as  the  first  accurate, 
detailed  account  of  the  cruise  of  the  Flying  Squadron,  the 
blockade  of  Santiago  Harbor,  and  the  destruction  of  Cervera's  fleet, 
written  by  an  unprejudiced  non-combatant.  The  major  portion  of  the 
book  is  written  by  Mr.  George  Edward  Graham,  war  correspondent  of 
the  Associated  Press,  who  was  aboard  the  Brooklyn,  Commodore 
Schley's  flagship,  during  the  entire  five  months  of  the  Spanish-American 
War,  when  that  vessel  was  flying  the  broad  pennant  of  Commodore 
Schley.  It  has  been  thought  fit  to  include  in  the  narrative  Commodore 
Schley's  own  story  of  the  fight,  told  by  him  in  detail  since  its  occur 
rence,  and  after  his  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Rear- Admiral.  The  book 
has  the  absolute  and  unqualified  endorsement  of  Rear- Admiral  Schley, 
and  is  the  only  volume  of  its  kind  so  endorsed.  Mr.  Graham  was 
especially  qualified  for  the  writing  of  this  work  by  reason  of  the  fact 
that  for  fifteen  years  he  has  been  a  close  and  trained  observer  of  great 
public  events.  His  special  duty  aboard  the  Brooklyn  was  to  correctly 
observe  and  report  the  operations  of  the  fleet  for  the  Associated  Press, 
and  during  the  important  movements  including  the  battle  of  July  3d,  he 
was  in  a  better  position,  and  was  better  qualified,  to  absolutely  correctly 
observe  all  of  the  stirring  events  than  was  any  other  man  on  any  of  the 
vessels.  For,  naturally,  every  naval  officer  engaged  in  action  was  par 
ticularly  busy  with  the  special  duties  required  of  him,  while  Mr. 
Graham's  only  duty  was  to  record  the  events,  which  he  did  not  only  on 

paper  but  with  the  aid  of  a  camera.     The  majority  of  the  remarkable 

21 


22  PREFACE 

pictures  in  this  book  are  from  films  taken  by  Mr.  Graham,  many  of  them 
during  action,  and  they  are  here  published  as  a  whole  for  the  first  time. 
The  following  letters  from  Rear- Admiral  Schley  and  Captain  Francis 
A.  Cook,  of  the  Brooklyn,  are  tributes  to  Mr.  Graham  which  aid  in 
stamping  him  as  the  real  historian  of  the  Naval  manoeuvres  off  Santiago: 

(  PERSONAL) 
North  Atlantic  Fleet,  Second  Squadron.  U.  S.  Flagship    Brooklyn,  Guantanamo  Bay, 

Cuba,  July  6,  1898. 

MY  DEAR  GRAHAM  :  I  feel  that  I  should  not  let  this  opportunity  pass  without 
expressing  to  you  my  high  regard  for  your  courage  and  grit  on  the  occasion  of  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  Spanish  squadron,  near  Santiago  de  Cuba,  on  July  3,  1898. 

You  had  facilities  for  observing  and  correctly  recording  the  account  of  the  action 
possessed  by  no  other  correspondent,  being  at  all  times  in  the  forefront  of  the  fight,  and 
I  should  place  great  confidence  in  your  report. 

During  the  whole  of  the  action,  coolly  watching  the  operations  and  fearlessly  expos 
ing  yourself  to  the  enemy's  fire,  you  carefully  observed  the  manoeuvres  of  the  vessels 
with  a  devotion  to  your  duty  that  was  in  every  way  worthy  of  a  Forbes  or  a  McGahan. 

Hoping  for  your  continued  and  unvaried  success,  believe  me, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

W.  S.  SCHLEY, 

Commodore  U.  S.  Navy. 
George  Edward  Graham,  Esq.,  Flagship  Brooklyn. 

U.  S.  F.  S.  Brooklyn,  First  Rate,  Guantanamo,  Cuba,  July  5,  1898. 

MY  DEAR  GRAHAM  :  As  you  may  soon  leave  us,  I  desire  to  congratulate  you  upon 
your  courageous  performance  of  duty  during  the  action  with  the  Spanish  fleet  under 
Admiral  Cervera,  off  Santiago  de  Cuba,  on  the  3d  inst.  You  were  either  under  my  per 
sonal  observation^  of  the  officers  on  deck,  all  of  whom  testify  to  your  pluck  and  good  work. 

You  remained  in  the  open  during  the  entire  action,  at  the  best  point  of  vantage  to 
observe  the  enemy  and  our  fleet,  coolly  taking  notes  and  thus  contributing  most  valuable 
and  reliable  information  to  history  and  for  instruction  of  future  generations. 

Yours  was  a  devotion  to  duty,  under  heavy  fire,  with  no  other  incentive  than  to  serve 
the  best  interests  of  the  trust  imposed  upon  you. 

With  best  wishes  for  your  future,  and  most  pleasant  impress  from  an  association  on 
board,  I  am  cordially  yours, 

F.  A.  COOK, 
Captain,  U.  S.  Navy,  Commanding. 

Mr.  George  E.  Graham. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Winfield  Scott  Schley I 

Dedication  Page II 

The  Brooklyn's  Junior  Officers Ill 

Individual  Heroes  of  the  Fleet IV 

Captain  Francis  A.  Cook V 

"  The  squadron  will  proceed  to  sea  " VI 

"  They  will  never  go  home  " VII 

"  The  Brooklyn  took  coal  from  the  Merrimac  " VIII 

"  It  was  novel  to  coal  two  ships  " IX 

"  Schley,  Cook  and  Philip  held  a  conference  " X 

"  These  men  helped  to  prepare  the  Merrimac  " XI 

"  I  determined  to  develop  their  defenses  " XII 

"We  moved  in  two  columns"   XIII 

"  A  shell  accidentally  hit  the  lighthouse  " XIV 

"  The  marines  were  in  exposed  positions  " XV 

"  We  watched  the  Texas  silence  the  battery  " XVI 

"  They  are  all  out  and  coming  to  the  west " XVII 

"The  crew  was  at  muster" XVIII 

11 A  big  shell  came  in  the  gun  deck  " XIX 

"  The  Oregon  was  coming  to  help  the  Brooklyn  " XX 

"  The  Brooklyn  and  Oregon  were  bow  and  quarter  " XXI 

23 


24  ILL  US  TRA  TIONS 

"  Don't  throw  that  body  overboard  " XXII 

"  The  flag  was  almost  shot  away  " XXIII 

"  The  Colon  had  obtained  a  good  lead  " XXIV 

"  We've  only  one  more  to  get" XXV 

"  Those  are  the  fellows  who  saved  the  day  " XXVI 

"Three  cheers  for  Commodore  Schley  " XXVII 

"  You  bullies  won  the  fight" XXVIII 

"  There  was  a  hurricane  of  cheers  " XXIX 

Captain  Charles  E.  Clark XXX 

The  Commander-in-Chief  and  Two  Captains XXXI 

"  Admiral  Cervera  and  his  son  were  rescued  " XXXII 

"  Schley  went  over  to  see  Sampson  " XXXIII 

"  There  was  a  ragged  hole  in  the  Viscaya's  bow  " XXXIV 

"  The  Viscaya  had  been  raked  by  the  Oregon  " XXXV 

"The  Oquendo's  steel  plates  were  bulging  apart  " XXXVI 

"  The  Teresa  had  a  terrible  baptism  of  fire  " XXXVII 

"The  Colon  turned  over  in  the  surf" XXXVIII 

The  Spanish  Officers XXXIX 

Gifts  Presented  to  Admiral  Schley XL 

Brooklyn  Apprentices XLI 

Admiral  George  Dewey XLII 

Brooklyn  Fire  Room XLIII 

Captain  Murphy  and  Marines XLIV 

Brooklyn  Coming  Head  On XLV 

A  Recent  Portrait  of  Rear- Admiral  Schley. . .  . . XLVI 

Divine  Service  on  Battleship  Texas XLVII 

Cook,  Hodgson  and  Mason XL VIII 


Vc 

*' 


^: 


INDIVIDUAL  HEROES  OF  THE  FLEET. 

1.     Yeoman  George  H.  Ellis. 

2.  Lieut.  Richmond  P.  Hobson.     3.  Lieut. -Com.  Richard  WainwrighL 

(iv) 


ILL  US  TRA  TIONS  27 

Commodore  Schley  in  His  Cabin XLIX 

Night  Scene  During  the  Blockade L 

Captain  and  Officers  of  the  Brooklyn   LI 

The  New  York LII 

The  Iowa LIII 

The  Viscaya LIV 

The  Infanta  Maria  Teresa LV 

The  Indiana LVI 

The  Oregon LVII 

The  Porter LVI  1 1 

The  Ericsson LIX 

The  Gushing LX 

The  Texas LXI 

The  Massachusetts LXII 

The  Minneapolis LXIII 

The  Katahdin LXIV 

The  Vesuvius LXV 

The  Newark LXVI 

The  Miantonomah LXVII 

The  Cincinnati LXVIII 

The  Marblehead LXIX 

The  Yale LXX 

The  St.  Paul '. LXXI 

The  Harvard LXXII 

The  Squadron  at  Anchor  in  Hampton  Roads LXXI II 

The  Squadron  Leaving  Hampton  Roads LXXI V 

The  Brooklyn  In  Dry  Dock LXXV 


28  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Eight-inch  Rifle  Practice LXXVI 

Six-inch   Gun  and  Crew LXXVII 

Six-inch  Breech-loading  Rifle LXXVII  I 

Rapid-fire  Ammunition LXXIX 

Eight-inch  Gun  Deck LXXX 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 
Taking  Command Page    33 

CHAPTER  II 
Man  and  Hero Page    5 1 

CHAPTER  III 
Preparation Page    69 

CHAPTER  IV 
Off  to  Sea Page    87 

CHAPTER  V 
Clear  for  Action Page  101 

CHAPTER  VI 
Off  Cienfuegos Page  1 1 7 

CHAPTER  VII 
Coaling Page  135 

CHAPTER  VIII 
A  Will-o'-the-Wisp Page  149 

CHAPTER  IX 
Finding  the  Fleet Page  1 65 

CHAPTER  X 
Reconnaissance Page  1 83 

CHAPTER  XI 
Hobson's  Exploit . . .  Page  203 

CHAPTER  XI I 
An  Escape Page  221 

29 


30  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XI II 
The  Bombardment Page  233 

CHAPTER  XIV 
The  Blockade Page  255 

CHAPTER  XV 
The  Troops  Arrive Page  273 

CHAPTER  XVI 
Before  the  Battle Page  29 1 

CHAPTER  XVII 
The  Enemy  is  Escaping Page  305 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
The  Viscaya Page  323 

CHAPTER  XIX 
Chasing  the  Colon Page  339 

CHAPTER  XX 
The    Commander- in-Chief -....- Page  35 1 

CHAPTER  XXI 
Schley  in  Battle Page  37 1 

CHAPTER  XXII 
Personal  Bravery Page  387 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
Schley's  Story Page  40 1 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
A  Wonderful  Chase Page  419 

CHAPTER  XXV 
The  Spanish  Ships Page  435 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
Victor  and  Vanquished Page  453 

CHAPTER  XXVI I 
Closing  Incidents Page  471 


•  » 


CAPTAIN  FRANCIS  A.  COOK. 

(v) 


jw.3^^n^ 


CHAPTER  I 
TAKING  COMMAND 

^TANDING  on  the  government  dock  at  Newport  News  a  pleasant 
^J  morning,  the  28th  of  March,  1 898,  with  half-closed  eyes  one  might 
have  imagined,  looking  over  the  shimmer  of  blue  water,  that  it  was  the 
days  of  '60;  that  just  above,  in  the  broad  expanse  of  water  lay  the 
American  fleet  with  old-fashioned  woodwork,  high  masts,  and  masses  of 
rigging.  And  just  below,  a  uniquely  constructed,  original  ironclad,  the 
Merrimac,  getting  up  steam  and  preparing  itself  for  battle  with  this 
unprotected  fleet,  about  in  the  same  nonchalant  manner  as  would  a  fox 
in  a  barnyard,  undisturbed,  select  his  prey.  And  then,  up  from  the 
vicinity  of  Old  Point  Comfort  there  comes  a  little  steel  "cheese  box," 
the  Monitor,  its  deck  so  low  in  the  water  as  to  allow  the  light  waves  to 
almost  rush  over  it,  but  with  a  single  formidable-looking  gun  pointing 
from  its  steel  turret,  and  the  American  flag  flying  proudly  from  a  staff 
on  its  after-deck.  Those  on  the  Merrimac  see  it,  and  in  answer  to  the 
defiant  wave  of  the  red,  v/hite,  and  blue,  there  goes  up  the  Confederate 
flag,  the  success  of  which  means  the  division  of  the  Union.  Expectantly 
you  wait  for  the  terrible  sea  duel  which  ended  in  the  defeat  of  the 
Merrimac  and  the  salvation  of  the  Federal  fleet,  but  just  then  you  open 
your  eyes  as  there  strides  down  the  dock  by  you  a  lithe,  active  figure 
that  in  every  motion  of  the  body  seems  to  indicate  one  born  to  com 
mand.  It  is  Winfield  Scott  Schley,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  carrying 
in  his  pocket  his  newly-dated  commission  as  Commodore,  and  his  orders 
to  take  command  of  the  freshly-organized  Flying  Squadron,  which,  if 

33 


34  TAKING  COMMAND 

war  is  to  be  declared  between  Spain  and  the  United  States,  will  hunt 
for  the  enemy's  fleets  at  sea. 

This  is  the  same  man  who  eight  years  before  conveyed  to  his 
native  Sweden  the  remains  of  the  great  Ericsson,  the  inventor  of  the 
first  steel  vessel,  that  in  this  very  harbor  had  saved  the  Federal  shipping 
to  the  glory  of  the  Federal  flag. 

PUTTING  ON  THE  WAR  PAINT 

He  stepped  briskly  down  the  walk,  and  to  one  of  the  young  officers 
near  him,  he  said,  "Send  word  to  Captain  Cook  that  I  wish  to  raise  my 
flag  very  quietly.  I  don't  want  any  display."  In  the  offing  lay  the 
cruiser  Brooklyn,  the  first-class  battleship  Massachusetts,  and  the 
second-class  battleship  Texas,  and  a  very  curious  picture  they  presented. 
From  the  beautiful  pure  white,  with  buff  trimmings,  that  marks  the 
ships  of  the  American  Navy  in  times  of  peace,  hundreds  of  men 
swarming  like  monkeys  at  their  sides  and  over  their  superstructures, 
paint  brushes  in  hand,  were  transforming  them  into  sullen,  gray 
monsters,  absolutely  devoid  of  beauty,  but  clothed  in  this  Quaker  hue 
for  the  purpose  of  making  them  less  conspicuous  to  an  enemy's  gunners. 

"That's  supposed  to  be  atmosphere  they  are  painting  those  ships," 
said  the  Commodore,  with  a  little  laugh,  as  he  waited  for  the  barge  to 
be  sent  to  him.  And  then,  pointing  out  to  the  ships,  he  said,  "I'll  take 
two  more  like  those  fellows  and  lick  anything  Spain  can  provide." 

A  NOTABLE  GROUP 

With  him  on  the  pier  stood  Lieutenant  James  H.  Sears,  his  flag 
lieutenant,  who  was  to  be  very  conspicuous  throughout  the  future 
events,  and  whose  solid  advice  and  thorough  wisdom  were  invaluable 
during  the  campaign.  Lieutenant  Benjamin  W.  Wells,  flag  secretary, 
was  another  of  the  group,  and  they,  together  with  Lieutenant  McCrea, 


TAKING  COMMAND  35 

navigator  of  the  Brooklyn,  composed  the  escort  from  the  flagship.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  war  had  not  been  declared, 
although  the  terrible  happening  in  Havana  harbor  had  made  it  almost 
impossible  to  believe  that  any  other  action  could  be  taken  by  the  United 
States  government  than  that  of  driving  the  Spanish  from  the  Western 

Continent. 

WAR  DAILY  EXPECTED 

Assignments  like  this  of  Commodore  Schley  had  been  made 
daily,  in  absolute  expectation  of  war,  and  in  the  shipyard  just  above  the 
dock  on  which  he  stood  that  day,  thousands  of  men  were  engaged  in 
preparing  and  building  ships  for  the  conflict  which  was  bound  to  ensue. 
At  Havana  a  board  of  officers  had  sat  in  consultation,  and  in  examina 
tion  of  witnesses  to  determine  as  to  whether  the  Maine  had  been 
destroyed  by  Spanish  treachery  or  by  American  carelessness.  On  the 
25th  of  March  they  had  transmitted  their  report  that  the  Maine  had  been 
sunk  by  an  explosion  from  the  outside,  although  they  would  not  attribute 
this  explosion  to  any  hostile  act  of  the  government  of  Spain. 

RAISING  THE  COMMODORE'S  FLAG 

Everywhere  the  people  were  clamoring  for  war.  Fifty  million 
dollars  had  been  voted  by  Congress  for  national  defense ;  officers  had 
been  hurried  to  important  stations ;  government  officials  were  scouring 
the  world  for  ships,  ammunition,  and  coal ;  and  everything  indicated  war, 
except  the  attitude  of  President  William  McKinley.  Even  at  the 
moment  that  Schley  was  raising  his  flag  as  commander  of  the  Flying 
Squadron,  the  President  was  still  hoping  for  peace  and  for  some  amicable 
settlement  of  the  difficulty,  and  every  effort  was  being  made  to  induce 
the  Spanish  government  to  withdraw  peaceably  from  the  island  of  Cuba. 

This  was  the  situation  on  this  beautiful  morning  in  March,  when, 
at  eleven  o'clock,  eight  sturdy  oarsmen  pulled  the  Commodore's  barge 


36.  TAKING  COMMAND 

of  the  Brooklyn  alongside  of  that  gallant  ship,  with  Commodore  Schley 
in  the  stern  sheets.  As  nimbly  as  a  boy  of  twenty,  this  man  of  nearly 
sixty  ran  up  the  companion-way  to  the  deck,  where  Captain  Francis  A. 
Cook  and  Lieutenant-Commander  Newton  E.  Mason  received  him 
aboard.  In  a  few  minutes  the  usual  salute  was  fired,  and  up  to  the  top 
of  the  masthead  went  the  little  blue  Commodore's  flag,  which  denoted 
the  Brooklyn  as  the  flagship  of  the  Flying  Squadron,  and  which 
remained  at  the  masthead  unsullied  until  it  was  taken  down  to  replace 
it  with  the  Rear- Admiral's  flag  in  New  York  harbor  six  months  later. 

THE  FLYING  SQUADRON 

The  squadron  at  this  time  consisted  only  of  three  ships:  the  Brook 
lyn,  the  Texas,  and  the  Massachusetts ;  but  notification  had  been  sent 
that  the  Minneapolis  and  the  Columbia,  two  fast  cruisers,  would  join  the 
fleet  later  on. 

While  the  Commodore  took  possession  of  his  flagship,  true  to  his 
orders  not  to  have  any  of  the  prevailing  work  stopped,  the  slapping  of 
paint  brushes  went  on,  and  by  nightfall  all  three  ships  were  clad  in  a 
somber  grayness  that  at  any  distance,  unless  with  a  bright  sunshine 
upon  them,  made  them  almost  a  part  of  the  atmosphere,  or  at  night,  of 
the  darkness. 

AUTHOR  ONE  OF  THE  SHIP'S  COMPANY 

I  had  been  assigned  by  the  Associated  Press,  which  had  received 
permission  from  Secretary  of  the  Navy  John  D.  Long,  to  accompany 
the  Flying  Squadron,  provided  the  acquiescence  of  Commodore  Schley 
was  obtained,  and  that  room  could  be  found  for  my  accommodation 
aboard  one  of  the  vessels.  The  detachment  of  Navigating-Officer 
McCrea  a  few  days  after  Commodore  Schley  took  command,  and  the 
fact  that  there  was  no  chaplain  aboard  the  Brooklyn,  fortunately  secured 
a  place  for  me  aboard  the  flagship,  and  I  was  made  at  once  a  member 


TAKING  COMMAND  39 

of  the  ward  room  mess,  with  the  requirement,  however,  that  I  would 
stay  ashore  at  one  of  the  hotels  until  orders  were  received  to  put  to  sea, 
so  as  not  to  excite  the  attention  of  the  horde  of  special  newspaper  men 
who  were  applying  for  permission  to  go  with  the  squadron. 

THE  AUTHOR'S  FIRST  MEETING  WITH  COMMODORE  SCHLEY 

I  recollect  with  great  distinctness  my  first  conversation  with  the 
Commodore  on  the  subject  of  my  presence  aboard.  I  presented  my 
credentials,  including  a  personal  letter  from  a  dear  friend  of  his  in 
Washington,  Colonel  Charles  A.  Boynton,  and  I  must  admit,  with  a  great 
deal  of  fear  and  trepidation,  because,  while  for  fifteen  years  I  had  asso 
ciated  with  public  men  of  all  classes,  I  had  been  given  to  understand 
that  the  higher  officers  of  the  Navy  were  martinets  of  the  worst  kind. 
Summer  sun  never  dispelled  morning  fog  more  quickly  than  Schley's 
smile  and  handshake  dispelled  that  illusion.  He  questioned  me  closely 
about  my  former  newspaper  connections,  dwelling  particularly  upon 
such  points  as  would  indicate  to  him  whether  I  was  to  be  trusted  or  not 
with  matters  not  for  publication.  One  of  his  first  remarks  to  me  was, 
"If  you  go  along  with  me  you  will  hear  a  great  many  more  things  that 
you  must  not  write  or  talk  about  than  you  will  things  that  you  can  make 
public."  I  told  him  that  I  thought  my  political  training  made  me  under 
stand  that  thoroughly,  and  that  I  was  perfectly  willing  at  any  time  to 
submit  my  copy  to  his  censorship. 

SCHLEY'S  MAGNETIC  PERSONALITY 

His  next  remark  to  me  was,  "Can  you  fight?"  I  ventured  that  I 
hadn't  very  much  experience  in  that  line,  and  he  said,  rather  severely, 
but  with  just  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  that  gave  me  some  encouragement, 
"We  don't  allow  any  loafers  aboard  a  man-of-war,  and  if  a  lot  of  the  men 
on  this  ship  are  killed  during  a  combat,  you'll  have  to  help  take  their 


40  TAKING  COMMAND 

places."  Then  turning  to  Lieutenant  Sears,  who  stood  near  him,  he  said, 
"Sears,  if  this  young  man  comes  aboard  put  him  at  work  with  a  six- 
pounder-gun  crew.  He'll  be  handy."  I  saw  no  particular  reason 
for  Sears'  smile  or  Lieutenant  Wells'  broad  grin,  for  at  that  time  I  con 
sidered  it  a  very  serious  matter.  But  at  one  thing  I  was  thoroughly 
delighted,  as  is  every  other  man  who  has  met  this  fighter  of  such  mag 
netic  personality.  He  had  impressed  me,  and  yet  not  suppressed  me. 

SCHLEY  A  QUICK,  BRAVE  COMMANDER 

He  had  made  me  feel  that  he  was  a  quick,  brave,  energetic  com 
mander,  and  in  the  same  breath  that  he  had  a  warm  heart,  and  despite 
his  rank  would  make  himself  not  only  the  commander,  but  the  personal, 
approachable  friend  of  those  beneath  him. 

And  so  as  the  days  passed  by,  I,  together  with  every  man  the  Com 
modore  came  in  contact  with  during  these  straining  days  of  waiting, 
during  the  exciting  hunt  for  Cerver-a's  fleet,  during  the  terrible  hours  of 
bombardment  and  battle,  grew  to  love  him  with  that  love  which  men 
ofttimes  feel  for  each  other  and  which  develops  into  lifelong,  personal 
attachment. 

WAS  LOYAL  TO  HIS  COUNTRY  IN  1860 

And  what  of  this  man  v/ho  sat  in  his  cabin  on  the  Brooklyn,  giving 
decisive  and  quick  commands  on  the  one  hand,  and  giving  pleasant, 
encouraging  words  on  the  other?  Was  he  hunting  for  a  hero's  spurs, 
or  seeking  to  make  an  original  record?  No;  his  record  was  already 
made  in  the  annals  of  the  American  Navy.  When  but  twenty-two  and 
a  midshipman  in  the  Navy,  he  was  called  into  the  cabin  of  the  Niagara 
in  1 860,  by  Captain  McKean,  and  told  that  war  had  been  declared 
between  the  North  and  the  South.  Together  with  the  other  officers 
aboard,  Schley  was  asked  by  the  captain  if  he  would  sign  the  papers  to 
stand  by  the  old  flag,  and  as  will  be  demonstrated  later,  he  signed. 


TAKING  COMMAND  41 

It  was  this  same  Schley  who,  on  board  the  U.  S.  Owasca,  cap 
tured  the  first  prize  of  the  Civil  War,  and  later  displayed,  in  a  very 

laughable  manner,  his  ambition  to  command.    Captain  T ,  of  the 

Owasca,  while  a  splendid  fighter  and  otherwise  good  officer,  was  sadly 
addicted  to  drink.  The  gunboat  was  lying  under  Fort  Morgan,  and 

each  morning  T ,  who,  during  the  night  had  accumulated  a  great 

deal  of  liquor-made  bravery,  would  order  the  gunboat  run  in  to  fire  a  few 
shots  at  the  Fort.  The  demonstration  was  invariably  accompanied  by 
little  damage  to  the  forts,  but  loss  of  life  and  a  good  deal  of  damage  to 

the  gunboat. 

ARRESTS  CAPTAIN  OF  SHIP 

Schley  overheard  the  men  in  the  ship  complaining  of  this,  and  in 
an  instant  made  up  his  mind  to  stop  it.  While  he  was  thinking  it  over, 
Captain  T —  -  came  on  deck  and  said,  "Lieutenant,  make  ready  to 
run  in." 

Quick  as  a  flash  came  the  evidently  mutinous  reply,  "I'll  be  d — d 
if  I  will.  It  doesn't  do  any  good,  and  I'm  not  going  to  sacrifice  life  for 
nothing." 

"Afraid,  are  you?"  sneered  T .  "Well,  we'll  go  in  just  the 

same,  and  you'll  be  court-martialed." 

"No,  you  won't  go  in,"  answered  Schley.  Then,  quickly, 
"Orderly,  send  the  surgeon  here." 

The  surgeon  came,  and  the  smooth-faced  lieutenant  said,  "I  want 
to  know  the  condition  of  Captain  T ,  sir." 

A  brief  examination,  and  the  surgeon  said,  "He  is  intoxicated,  sir." 

"A  file  of  marines ! "  called  Schley.     "Lock  Captain  T in  his 

cabin!" 

REPORTS  ARREST  OF  HIS  OWN  CAPTAIN 

The  Owasca  was  part  of  a  small  squadron  commanded  by  Captain 
James  Alden,  of  the  Richmond.  The  day  of  this  episode  the  quarter- 


42  TAKING  COMMAND 

master  of  the  Richmond  reported  that  a  gig  from  the  Owasca  flying  the 
captain's  pennant  was  approaching.  Supposing  it  to  be  the  captain  of 
the  Owasca,  Alden  put  on  his  full  uniform  coat,  dressed  the  side,  and 
the  b'swain's  mate  made  ready  for  his  three  pipes  at  the  gangway. 

When  the  gig  came  alongside,  Lieutenant  Schley  sprang  up  the 
ladder  and  boarded  the  Richmond. 

"I  expected  to  see  Captain  T ,  of  the  Owasca,"  said  Alden, 

with  perceptible  sarcasm. 

"I  am  the  commander  of  the  Owasca,  sir,"  said  Schley. 

"Since  when?"  asked  Alden. 

"An  hour  ago,  sir,"  replied  Schley. 

"Where  is  Captain  T ?" 

"Locked  up  in  his  cabin,  sir,  drunk." 

"Who  locked  him  up?"  said  Alden. 

"I  did.  I  first  put  him  under  arrest,  and  then  shut  him  up  in  his 
cabin.  Then  I  took  command  of  the  ship,  and  here  I  am  to  report  for 

orders." 

CAPTAIN   ALDBN'S    JOKE 

Alden  was  fond  of  a  joke,  and  he  was  at  first  disposed  to  laugh  at 
the  young  officer's  summary  action,  but  quietly  said: 

"Well,  the  first  order  I  give  to  you  now  is  to  lower  that  pennant  in 
the  gig.  Go  back  to  your  ship,  sir,  unlock  that  cabin  door,  and  restore 

Captain  T to  duty.  Then  report  to  me  if  the  captain's  illness 

still  continues,  and  I  will  take  action.  Don't  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to 
take  command  of  a  ship,  Mr.  Schley." 

HIS   SPLENDID   RECORD   IN   CIVIL   WAR 

Through  the  Civil  War,  Schley  served  with  a  splendid  record,  but 
during  its  continuance  found  time  to  return  to  Annapolis  and  marry  Miss 
Nanny  Franklin,  the  handsome  and  attractive  daughter  of  a  prosperous 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

11  They  will  never  go  home1 
(vii) 


TAKING  COMMAND  45 

merchant  there.  But  even  his  marriage  could  not  keep  him  ashore  if 
there  were  active  duties  at  sea  to  be  performed,  and  in  his  desire  to 
make  a  record  for  himself  in  his  chosen  profession  his  wife  encouraged 
him. 

In  cruising  service,  soon  after  the  Civil  War,  he  subdued  400 
riotous  Chinamen  on  one  of  the  Chincha  islands;  some  time  later,  in 
order  to  protect  American  interests  which  had  become  imperiled  by  an 
insurrection,  he  landed  a  force  of  marines  at  LaUnion,  San  Salvador, 
and  took  possession  of  the  Custom  House. 

In  1871  he  landed  a  body  of  marines  at  Corea  and  attacked  about  six 
times  as  many  natives  as  he  had  men,  but  thrashed  them  very  soundly. 
In  1 876  he  went  to  the  West  African  coast  where  pirates  were  menacing 
American  commerce,  and  caught  and  punished  a  great  many  of  them 
severely. 

PLACED   IN   COMMAND   OF   GREELY   RELIEF   EXPEDITION 

In  1 884  the  Navy  Department  issued  a  call  for  officers  to  volunteer 
for  an  expedition  to  rescue  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Greely,  who,  while 
making  explorations  in  the  Arctic  seas,  had  become  lost.  The  call  had 
hardly  been  made  public  before  Schley  was  in  the  Department,  volun 
teering  his  services.  He  was  placed  in  command  of  the  expedition 
with  three  ships:  the  Thetis,  the  Bear,  and  the  Alert.  He  has  himself 
written  very  graphically  the  description  of  this  hazardous  voyage.  One 
incident  in  it  is  worth  relating :  The  morning  of  one  day  found  the  fleet 
up  against  an  ice  pack,  reaching  almost  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  and 
making  a  seemingly  solid  obstruction  to  the  ships.  Up  in  the  crow's 
nest  of  the  Thetis,  the  place  occupied  usually  by  a  common  sailor 
employed  as  a  lookout,  was  Captain  Schley.  The  thermometer  was 
many  degrees  below  zero  and  the  wind  blowing  great  gusts,  which  made 
it  decidedly  unpleasant  even  for  the  men  on  deck.  His  officers  begged 


46  TAKING  COMMAND 

him  to  come  down,  but  he  remained  there,  taking  a  cup  of  hot  coffee 
occasionally  to  help  keep  out  the  numbing  cold. 

RESCUES  GREELY  AND  HIS  COMRADES 

Experienced  Arctic  navigators  aboard  told  him  that  he  would  not 
be  able  to  get  through  the  pack;  in  other  words,  that  they  might  as 
well  abandon  the  expedition.  But  toward  afternoon  of  that  day,  he 
called  to  his  deck  officer,  "There  is  a  rift  in  the  pack,  and  we  are  going 
through."  His  officers  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  it,  saying  they  would 
get  caught  and  nipped,  but  he  replied,  "Gentlemen,  there  are  times 
when  it  is  a  necessity  and  a  duty  to  take  risks.  This  is  one  of  those 
occasions."  The  ships  got  through  the  pack;  Greely  and  his  comrades 
were  found  in  a  dying  condition  which  forty-eight  hours  more  would 
have  ended  in  death,  and  were  rescued  and  brought  to  the  United 
States  by  this  intrepid  commander. 

CONVEYED  REMAINS  OF  ERICSSON  TO  SWEDEN 

In  1890  Schley  was  detailed  to  convey  the  remains  of  Ericsson, 
the  inventor  of  the  Monitor,  to  his  native  Sweden ;  and  in  the  following 
year  he  was  ordered  to  Valparaiso,  Chili,  where  civil  war  was  in  prog 
ress.  The  United  States  Minister  Eagan  had  taken  such  action  as 
had  made  the  residents  consider  that  the  Americans  were  opposed  to 
them  and  the  intense  feeling  finally  culminated  in  bloodshed,  when  two 
sailors  of  the  Baltimore  were  killed  by  a  mob  in  the  street  one  night. 
It  was  here  that  Schley  demonstrated  his  extraordinary  diplomacy,  for, 
after  investigating  the  matter,  he  would  certainly  have  been  justified  in 
bombarding  the  town.  The  men  had  gone  ashore  with  the  full  assur 
ance  of  the  Intendata  that  they  would  be  protected.  Schley  was 
surprised  at  night  by  the  sudden  visit  of  a  friendly  merchantman 


TAKING  COMMAND  47 

captain  and  several  natives,  who  assured  him  in  an  excited  way  that 
his  men  were  killed,  and  that  his  duty  was  to  bombard  the  town. 

HIS  PROMPT  ACTION  IN  CHILI 

"Not  much,"  answered  Schley.  "I  will  think  matters  over  and 
will  investigate,"  and  after  sending  Lieutenant  Sears  and  his  squad  of 
marines  ashore  to  look  into  the  matter  and  bring  the  bodies  off,  he  went 
to  bed.  In  the  meantime,  Sears  and  his  marines  were  taken  and  locked 
up.  Next  morning,  after  making  inquiry  himself,  Schley  paid  a  visit  to 
the  Intendata,  an  old  man,  over  eighty  years  of  age,  who  received  him 
with  fear  and  trembling,  and  asked  him  to  be  seated. 

"No,"  said  Schley,  "this  is  not  a  sitting  matter.  I  want  my  men 
released  at  once,  and  put  back  on  ship." 

"You'll  have  to  see  the  judge,"  said  the  Intendata. 

"No,  I  won't,"  roared  Schley,  while  the  old  man  crept  into  the 
corner.  "You  order  those  men  released,  or  you'll  have  trouble.  And 
further  than  that,  you'll  pay  indemnity  for  the  two  men  who  were  killed 
last  night,  or  I'll  blow  the  tops  off  your  buildings."  Then  he  stalked 
down  to  his  barge,  went  aboard  his  ship,  the  Baltimore,  requested  the 
German  man-of-war  and  the  English  man-of-war,  which  were  on  either 
side  of  him,  to  change  their  anchorage,  and  prepared  to  carry  out 
his  v/ord. 

But  in  a  very  short  time  the  Intendata  sent  word  that  the  men 
were  on  their  way  to  the  ship,  and  that  the  Chilian  government  would 
take  care  of  the  indemnity. 


*u. 


^  :"H 
•^  '.K 

<^ 
(a 
^> 


CHAPTER  II 
MAN  AND  HERO 

WITHIN  sight  of  the  National  Capitol,  and  in  the  town  that  gave 
to  America  Francis  Scott  Key,  the  author  of  the  "Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  Winfield  Scott  Schley  was  born  in  1839.  The  old 
Schley  farm  of  "Richfield,"  an  estate  of  some  three  hundred  acres, 
lying  about  four  miles  north  of  Frederick  City  on  the  Emmitsburg  'pike, 
was  the  home  of  his  father  and  mother,  John  T.  Schley  and  Virginia 
Schley,  and  here  were  entertained  many  of  the  most  prominent  men 
and  women  of  the  South.  A  grandson  of  John  Schley — a  Bavarian 
who  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  came  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  the  then  small  town  of  Frederick,  Maryland — John 
Thomas  Schley  was  a  prominent  figure  in  that  state,  and  the  charms  of 
his  wife,  who  had  been  Miss  Virginia  McClure,  brought  many  friends 
from  her  native  city  of  Baltimore. 

HIS  BOYHOOD  DAYS 

Among  those  who  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  the  Schley  homestead 
came  doughty  old  General  Winfield  Scott,  the  grizzled  veteran  hero  of 
the  Mexican  War,  and  it  was  in  honor  of  the  friendship  which  existed 
between  the  two  men  that  the  baby  boy  was  christened  with  the  name 
which  has  now  grown  so  beloved  and  so  famous  throughout  the  country, 
Winfield  Scott  Schley. 

During  his  early  boyhood, Winfield  Scott  Schley  and  his  four  brothers 
and  sisters  lived  at  the  old  home,  and  attended  the  adjacent  school. 

51 


52  MAN  AND  HERO 

During  this  time  there  were  no  startling  events  to  recall,  no  wonderful 
characteristics  that  marked  the  boy  as  a  future  moulder  of  events  and  a 
man  of  deeds.  His  life  ran  along  as  smoothly  as  does  that  of  any 
healthy,  happy,  normal  American  boy,  until,  when  he  was  nine  years  of 
age,  its  even  tenor  was  sadly  interrupted  by  the  death  of  his  mother. 
Shortly  after,  the  family  moved  into  Frederick  City,  and  here  the  youth 
became  a  student  at  St.  John's  Institute,  until  three  years  later,  when 
he  secured  an  appointment  to  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis. 

MEETS  THE  FUTURE  MRS.  SCHLEY 

It  was  during  his  course  of  study  at  the  academy  that  Schley  met 
his  future  wife,  Miss  Nanny  Franklin,  the  attractive,  accomplished 
daughter  of  a  prosperous  merchant  of  Annapolis,  to  whom  he  was 
married  in  1863,  three  years  after  he  had  been  graduated. 

The  first  commission  given  the  young  midshipman  upon  his  leav 
ing  his  alma  mater,  was  aboard  the  U.  S.  S.  Niagara,  and  on  this  voy 
age  occurred  an  incident  which  I  have  often  heard  him  recount  with 
glee,  as  an  example  of  boyish  nonsense  and  mischief. 

AN  INCIDENT  ON  BOARD  SHIP 

The  Niagara  had  been  ordered  to  proceed  to  Japan  to  convey  to 
their  home  the  members  of  the  Japanese  Embassy.  It  was  a  long, 
tedious  trip  around  the  Cape,  and  diversions  were  few,  so,  when  the 
ship  lay  too  off  the  African  coast  and  venders  of  monkeys,  parrots,  and 
all  sorts  of  tropical  pets  came  aboard,  they  were  heartily  welcomed. 
A  few  members  of  the  embassy  were  greatly  delighted  with  some  par 
ticularly  uncanny  specimens  of  the  Genus  Cercepitheci,  and  accordingly 
several  were  transferred  to  the  ships.  Ordinarily  monkeys,  and  particu 
larly  the  marmosets,  are  huge  favorites  with  the  sailor,  but  these  were 
extremely  unpopular.  Owing  to  matters  diplomatic  at  that  period,  it 


MAN  AND  HERO  53 

was  considered  advisable  to  humor  and  please  the  Japanese  in  every 
possible  way,  and  so  Captain  McKean  and  his  officers  made  no  open 
objection,  but  deep  and  earnest  were  the  anathemas  hurled  at  the 
simians  in  private.  Having  the  entire  run  of  the  ship,  no  object  was  too 
remote,  no  mast  too  high,,  no  belonging  too  personal,  to  escape  the 
ravages  of  the  monkeys.  Sailors  and  junior  officers  were  particularly 
incensed  against  them,  and  one  morning,  when  their  misdeeds  had  been 
especially  flagrant,  justice  was  meted  out  to  them.  Choosing  a  time 
when  none  of  the  embassy  or  officers  were  about,  Midshipman  Schley 
ordered  the  sailors  to  catch  and  bring  to  him  two  of  the  very  largest  and 
most  aggressive  ringtails,  and  at  the  same  time  called  for  a  bucket  of 
slush  from  the  galley.  Carefully  and  thoroughly  each  monkey's  tail  was 
greased,  and  then,  with  a  shout,  they  were  released  and  fled,  chattering 
madly,  to  the  topmost  mast,  from  which  they  launched  out  with  a  leap 
to  the  lower  studding  sail  which  hung  out  far  over  the  water,  thirty  feet 
from  the  deck.  But  the  trusted  flexile  tails  failed  them,  and  slipping 
from  cords,  clutching  and  shrieking,  the  two  monkeys  fell  into  the  China 
sea,  while  the  ship  speeded  on.  Alarmed  by  the  cries  of  their  pets,  the 
members  of  the  embassy  hurried  on  deck,  but  from  that  time  on  the 
ship  was  relieved  of  its  pestiferous  rangers,  the  rest  of  them  being  safely 

confined. 

THE    CIVIL   WAR    BREAKS   OUT 

In  less  than  a  year  from  the  time  Schley  left  the  Naval  Academy, 
in  fact,  while  the  Niagara  was  still  on  her  voyage,  the  heavy  war  clouds 
were  gathering;  but  without  news  until  they  reached  America,  those  on 
board  were  astounded  by  the  announcement  of  the  pilot  that  Sumter 
had  been  fired  upon,  and  all  the  country  was  ablaze. 

Staunch  old  Captain  McKean  ordered  all  his  officers  to  his  cabin 
for  consultation,  and,  with  voice  trembling  with  stress  of  emotion,  and 
with  tears  dimming  his  eyes,  asked  them  to  sign  a  paper  that  he  had 


54  MAN  AND  HERO 

drawn  up,  and  which  stated  that  the  signers  would  be  true  to  their  flag, 
and  to  the  country  which  had  nurtured  and  trained  them. 

And  then  occurred  a  most  dramatic  incident.  Picture  the  low, 
rather  dark  cabin ;  a  gray-haired  officer  standing  in  the  midst  of  his  men 
and  asking  them  to  decide  the  most  momentous  question  of  their  lives. 
There  they  stood,  Northerner  and  Southerner,  Easterner  and  Westerner, 
classmates,  shipmates,  all  trained  to  defend  the  flag  they  had  sworn  to 
guard  and  cherish.  Some  marched  up  and  signed  at  once,  while  others 
lingered,  debating,  torn  by  duty  to  country  or  loyalty  to  a  section.  Some, 
with  tears,  refused  to  put  their  names  to  the  document,  while  others 
with  the  fiery  Southern  blood,  strongly  averred  they  too  would  stand  by 

the  Confederacy. 

STANDS   BY   THE   FLAG 

But  almost  among  the  first,  Winfield  Scott  Schley  stepped  to  the 
Captain's  side,  and  looking  for  a  moment  up  through  the  hatchway  to 
where  the  stars  and  stripes  fluttered  at  the  masthead,  he  said  simply 
but  with  deep  feeling,  "I  stand  by  the  flag,  Captain.  I'll  sign."  And 
who  can  say  that  for  one  moment  Admiral  Schley  has  ever  swerved 
from  his  loyal  love  to  that  flag,  which  for  so  many  years  of  his  life  has 
been  the  only  emblem  of  his  far-away  country? 

Admiral  Schley's  deep  reverence  for  the  flag  is  clearly  shown  in 
the  following  extract  from  a  toast,  "The  glory  that  follows  the  flag,"  to 
which  he  responded  at  a  banquet  recently  given  in  his  honor,  words 
which  should  fill  every  American  with  patriotism: 

THE   GLORY   THAT   FOLLOWS   THE   FLAG 

"The  glory  that  follows  our  flag,'  is  a  significant  sentence.  The 
flag  we  all  love  and  protect  is  the  oldest  flag  in  the  world  to-day  It  is 
one  hundred  and  twenty-three  years  old.  Even  the  imperial  flag  of 
China,  the  oldest  empire  in  the  world,  is  not  as  old  as  ours,  for  its  shape 


I 


MAN  AND  HERO  57 

has  been  recently  changed.  Great  Britain,  Russia,  France,  have  all 
altered  theirs.  The  only  change  that  our  flag  has  undergone  has  been 
in  the  addition  of  stars  to  its  beautiful  galaxy.  It  is  the  flag  of  Wash 
ington.  Under  it  we  have  gained  every  victory  of  our  Republic ;  under 
it  we  have  become  rich;  under  it  we  have  become  powerful.  It  has 
meant  liberty  and  happiness  to  whomsoever  it  has  been  carried.  The 
honor  that  comes  to  those  who  follow  the  flag  is  the  applause  of  the 
people.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  place  where  the  love  of  flag  and  the  love 
of  home  is  greater  than  in  the  Navy.  We  are  much  of  the  time  on  the 
outskirts  of  civilization,  far  from  our  friends,  but  the  love  of  home  and 
the  love  of  kindred  keep  the  fires  of  patriotism  burning  in  our  hearts. 
In  my  own  experience  recently,  and  from  the  days  of  1861,  I  have  felt 
that  the  greatest  honor  came  to  him,  however  humble  he  might  be,  who 
could  add  something  to  the  honor  of  the  American  name."  Those  con 
versant  with  naval  history  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  know  what 
splendid  work  the  young  lieutenant  did  for  the  preservation  of  the  flag 
during  those  years. 

MODEST   TO  A   FAULT 

With  all  his  wealth  of  adventure,  and  notwithstanding  his  literary 
abilities  and  delightful  powers  as  a  raconteur,  Admiral  Schley  has 
studiously  avoided  rushing  into  print.  While  a  brilliant  conversationist, 
with  a  remark  always  apt  and  apropos,  the  Admiral's  sayings  are  never 
made  with  an  eye  to  seeing  them  heralded  the  next  day  or  week.  Like 
Admiral  Dewey,  Schley  has  kept  "golden  silence."  But  once  has  he 
ever  published  any  story  of  an  occurrence  in  his  life,  and  that  was  an 
account,  most  modestly  told,  of  "The  Rescue  of  Greely,"  issued  in 
1886  by  Scribners.  That  bit  of  history,  thrilling  and  intensely  interest 
ing  from  cover  to  cover,  is  yet  a  mere  statement  of  fact,  and  the  author 
evidently  considered  that  in  writing  it,  it  was  far  more  for  the  purpose 
of  telling  of  Greely's  sufferings  and  his  near  approach  to  death  in  the 

4 


58  MAN  AND  HERO 

Frozen  North  than  an  attempt  to  himself  pose  before  the  public  as  a 
heroic  rescuer. 

SCHLEY  PLANNED  BUOY  SYSTEM  FOR  NEW  YORK  HARBOR 

Aside  from  his  fighting  qualities,  Admiral  Schley  has  been  of  great 
service  to  the  Navy  Department  in  other  ways.  Few  who  enter  the 
beautiful  harbor  of  New  York  bay  know  that  its  intricate  system  of 
buoying  was  planned  by  Admiral  Schley  in  1893;  or,  that  in  1892, 
while  assigned  to  the  lighthouse  service  with  headquarters  at  Staten 
Island,  it  was  Admiral  Schley  who  first  introduced  the  inductive  tele 
phone  system  for  use  on  the  light  ships,  and  thus  put  these  men  exiled 
out  in  the  ocean  in  touch  with  the  main  world. 

THE  MARRIED  LIFE  OF  THE  ADMIRAL 

During  the  early  part  of  their  married  life,  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Schley 
had  a  home  in  Washington,  and  though  he  was  away  on  sea  duty  the 
majority  of  the  time,  it  was  here  their  three  children  were  educated. 
One  son  has  inherited  his  father's  martial  nature,  and  although  he  did 
not  enter  the  Navy,  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States,  Lieutenant 
Thomas  Franklin  Schley,  23d  regiment,  U.  S.  Infantry,  is  winning  his 
laurels.  The  other  son,  Dr.  Winfield  Scott  Schley,  Jr.,  is  a  surgeon  in 
St.  Luke's  Hospital,  New  York,  and  nearly  gave  up  his  life  for  the  sake 
of  science  during  the  summer  of  1901.  His  father,  who  had  just  been 
relieved  from  duty  with  the  South  Atlantic  squadron  and  who  was 
returning  home,  was  in  England  when  the  news  reached  him  of  his 
son's  dangerous  condition.  Canceling  all  engagements,  the  Admiral 
sailed  on  the  first  steamer  for  America,  and  all  through  the  hot  weeks 
of  early  summer,  was  day  after  day  by  his  namesake's  bedside,  cheer 
ing  him  on  to  victory  in  his  fight  with  disease.  The  third  child,  a 
daughter,  Virginia,  was  married  in  1890  to  Ralph  Granville  Montague 


MAN  AND  HERO  59 

Stuart  Wortley,  a  brother  of  the  Earl  of  Warcliffe.  The  Wortleys 
reside  in  New  York,  besides  having,  a  charming  summer  home  in  Con 
necticut  overlooking  the  Sound,  and  with  them  the  Admiral  and  Mrs. 
Schley  spend  a  great  deal  of  their  leisure  time. 

MEMBER  PORTO  RICO  EVACUATION  COMMISSION 

Closely  following  upon  the.  signing  of  the  protocol  on  August  16, 
1898,  and  shortly  after  the  triumphant  return  of  the  fleet  to  New  York, 
President  McKinley  honored  Admiral  Schley  by  appointing  him  as  the 
representative  of  the  Navy  on  the  Porto  Rico  Evacuation  Commission, 
which  within  sixty  days  had  completed  its  work. 

Some  time  later,  in  conversation  concerning  the  battle  of  July  3, 
1898,  Admiral  Schley  said:  "Subsequently,  in  Porto  Rico,  I  talked 
very  frankly  with  Spanish  officers.  They  said  a  great  deal  about  their 
honor.  We  all  admitted  it.  But  one  day  I  told  them  I  thought  there 
were  four  fundamentally  wrong  military  traditions  in  Spain.  First,  the 
Spanish  government  thought  that  Spanish  soldiers  could  fight  without 
being  fed;  second,  that  they  could  be  vigilant  without  getting  sleep; 
third,  that  they  could  be  loyal  when  they  were  not  being  paid;  and 
fourth,  that  they  were  given  a  language  so  rich  and  sonorous  and  full  of 
synonyms  that  they  talked  too  d — d  much,  and  did  not  learn  to  fight." 

THE  ADMIRAL  AN  EXCELLENT  COMRADE 

Admiral  Schley  has  been  criticised  by  some  extreme  believers  in 
class  distinction  as  a  "hail  fellow,"  and  one  who  poses  as  a  good  com 
rade,  with  a  hearty  welcome  and  handshake  to  any,  no  matter  how  far 
down  the  social  ladder,  so  long  as  his  reputation  for  friendliness  is 
^maintained.  Such  an  opinion  is  too  unjust  to  be  denied,  as  all  who 
know  the  true,  warm-hearted,  loyal,  generous  man  can  witness.  It  is 
no  footlight  cordiality  with  him,  but  a  warm  courtesy  that  sees  good  in 


60  MAN  AND  HERO 

all,  and  refuses  to  believe  evil  of  his  most  ardent  enemies,  until  the 
proof  is  so  positive  it  cannot  be  gainsayed,  when  he  always  has  some 
kindly  excuse  to  make  for  the  offender. 

THE  ADMIRAL  AND  THE  OLD  GARDENER 

An  instance  of  this  friendly  thoughtfulness  was  seen  in  Annapolis, 
when  the  Admiral  and  Mrs.  Schley  were  called  there  to  attend  the 
funeral  of  Mrs.  Cook,  wife  of  Captain  Francis  A.  Cook,  who  had  com 
manded  the  Brooklyn  during  the  Spanish  War.  Hundreds  of  friends 
and  admirers  strove  for  a  handclasp  or  a  word  with  the  Admiral,  and 
the  ovation  grew  with  every  moment.  On  his  way  to  the  Naval 
Academy,  an  old  man,  in  working  clothes  and  bearing  a  gardener's 
tools,  passed  the  Admiral  without  speaking.  Suddenly  Schley  turned, 
and  overtaking  him,  said,  "Why,  John,  don't  you  know  me?"  It  was  an 
old  resident  of  Annapolis,  and  as  he  recognized  the  speaker,  the  men's 
hands  clasped  warmly,  and  for  a  few  moments  they  stood  amicably 
chatting,  the  Admiral  inquiring  about  little  personal  matters  relating  to 
John  Hughes  that  evinced  a  retentive  memory  and  a  sincerity  of  pur 
pose  that  evidently  gave  much  pleasure  to  the  old  gardener. 

RETICENCE  IN  SPEAKING  OF  HIS  ACHIEVEMENTS 

On  another  page  I  spoke  of  Admiral  Schley's  reticence  in  writing 
or  speaking  of  his  achievements.  Once  in  conversation  he  said:  "Even 
one  man's  part  in  this  many-act  drama  is  too  long,  too  full  of  changes 
and  complications,  too  much  entangled  with  the  lives  and  acts  of  others, 
too  intimately  identified  with  the  evolution  of  his  own  character  and 
soul,  to  be  seen  by  himself  in  its  true  proportions.  He  can  only  plunge 
into  the  sea  of  his  recollections  and  bring  up  now  and  then  a  detached 
incident  or  name,  perhaps  trivial  enough,  perhaps  of  a  significance 
unperceived  at  the  time,  yet  destined  eventually  to  be  woven  into  that 


: 


i 


*.* 


r^*\  +\ 


i;-k* 


MAN  AND  HERO  63 

vast  fabric  of  realistic  fiction  known  as  history.  The  real  sum  of  his 
experience,  or  the  memories  of  it,  is  embodied  in  his  opinions.  Opin 
ions,  as  we  know,  are  oftentimes  variable ;  or  they  may  be  as  set  as  the 
eternal  hills,  and  yet  be  erroneous.  The  imagination  sees  more  than 
the  eye.  Lifelong  friendships,  which  nothing  else  could  shake,  are 
sometimes  broken  by  differences  of  impression  and  memory — so  justly 
sensitive  are  men  of  war  as  to  their  personal  records  of  bravery  and 

honor. 

THE  WAY  WITH  SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS 

"When  General  Zachary  Taylor,  after  the  Mexican  War,  became 
President,"  continued  Admiral  Schley,  "he  was  overwhelmed  with 
applications  from  veterans  who  had  participated  in  the  battle  of  Buena 
Vista.  Every  one  of  these  old  soldiers  was  able  to  give  a  detailed 
description  of  some  incident  in  the  fight,  and  would  attempt  to  recall  to 
the  General  circumstances  which  he  could  not  in  the  least  remember, 
but  which  he  was  obliged  to  conclude  he  had  known  and  perhaps  for 
gotten.  At  last  the  old  warrior  exclaimed,  'Was  it  a  dream?  Did  I 
ever  fight  that  battle  at  all?  I  thought  I  was  there  once,  but  if  all  these 
accounts  are  straight,  my  memory  has  tricked  me.'  And,"  added 
Schley,  "that  is  the  way  with  soldiers  and  sailors.  Each  man  thinks 
himself  the  center  of  action,  with  all  the  rest  revolving  around  him  in 
secondary  orbits.  The  spirit  is  right  and  proper  enough,  and  such  per 
sonal  narratives  are  the  raw  material  of  history,  but  they  require  careful 

editing." 

RECEIVED  MANY  TRIBUTES  FROM   PEOPLE 

Few  men,  perhaps,  have  received  more  tributes  of  the  love,  honor, 
and  esteem  in  which  they  are  held  by  the  people,  than  has  Admiral 
Schley.  Among  his  most  treasured  souvenirs  is  a  handsome  gold- 
mounted,  ebony  cane,  presented  to  him  by  the  crew  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Bal 
timore  when  he  was  relieved  from  that  command.  "You  know,  sir," 


64  MAN  AND  HERO 

said  the  spokesman  chosen  by  the  crew,  "that  when  you  were  an  officer, 
regulations  did  not  permit  us  to  give  you  a  present ;  but  now  that  you 
have  given  up  command  of  the  ship,  you  are  only  a  gentleman." 

ADMIRAL  PRESENTED  WITH  MAGNIFICENT  SWORDS 

In  1898  a  magnificent  sword  costing  $4,200  was  presented  to 
Admiral  Schley  at  Philadelphia,  a  gift  from  that  city  and  other  munici 
palities  of  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Delaware.  A  few  months 
later,  in  1899,  at  Carnegie  Hall,  New  York,  the  Admiral  was  presented 
with  a  sword  by  the  Royal  Arcanum,  of  which  he  is  a  commander.  The 
sword  cost  $2,000,  and  bears  on  one  side  of  the  blade  the  inscription, 
"Presented  to  Rear- Admiral  Winfield  Scott  Schley  by  the  Royal 
Arcanum  of  the  United  States,  in  Admiration  of  his  Victory  over  the 
Spanish  at  Santiago,  July  3d,  1898,"  while  on  the  reverse  of  the  blade 
is  etched  a  scene  of  the  battle. 

Baltimore  has  generously  honored  her  son  by  several  rich  souve 
nirs  of  his  gallant  achievements.  After  his  return  from  the  Greely 
rescuing  expedition,  Admiral  Schley  was  presented  with  a  magnificent 
gold  chronometer  and  chain,  the  latter  being  in  the  design  of  a  ship's 
hawser,  with  connecting  anchors.  Again,  in  the  summer  of  1 899,  at 
the  home  of  General  Felix  Agnus,  Rear- Admiral  Schley  was  presented 
with  a  silver  tea  service  from  the  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  the  Schley  Testi 
monial  Committee. 

HIS  NATIVE  STATE  PRESENTS  COMMEMORATION  MEDAL 

At  a  banquet  held  in  Schley's  honor  in  Baltimore,  Tuesday,  Febru 
ary  28,  1899,  the  state  of  Maryland,  through  its  legislature,  presented 
to  the  Admiral  a  superb  commemorative  medal.  Two  inches  in  diam 
eter,  the  center  is  a  heavy  gold  plate,  bearing  an  exact  reproduction,  in 
colored  enamels,  of  the  Maryland  coat-of-arms,  even  the  ermine  mantle 


MAN  AND  HERO  65 

being  shown  in  detail.  Separated  from  the  plate  by  a  narrow  gold 
band,  is  a  circle  of  large  diamonds,  and  encircling  the  whole  a  wreath 
of  acorn  leaves  in  green  gold,  interspersed  with  the  tiny  nuts  of  shining 
gold.  At  equidistant  points  the  wreath  is  crossed  and  held  by  narrow 
ribbon  bands  of  small  diamonds.  The  medal  is  held  by  a  twisted  ribbon 
of  blue  enamel,  the  edge  of  which  is  set  with  one  hundred  and  forty  dia 
monds,  and  which  bears  the  inscription,  "Maryland  honors  her  son, 
Winfield  Scott  Schley."  Entwined  with  the  ribbon  is  an  anchor  of  dia 
monds,  and  two  crossed  swords,  their  hilts  being  studded  with  the 
gems.  The  whole  is  suspended  from  the  base  of  the  United  States 
coat-of-arms,  surmounted  by  an  eagle,  which  is  mounted  on  a  blue  rib 
bon,  bearing  the  two  golden  stars  of  a  rear-admiral.  On  the  reverse 
side,  directly  opposite  the  Maryland  coat-of-arms,  is  the  cruiser  Brook 
lyn,  in  bas-relief  of  gold. 

The  official  record  of  Winfield  Scott  Schley  is  as  follows:  Ap 
pointed  a  cadet  at  the  U.  S.  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  September 
20,  1856;  graduated  and  warranted  a  midshipman,  June  15,  1860; 
lieutenant,  July  16,  1862;  lieutenant-commander,  July  25,  1866;  com 
mander,  June  10,  1874,  captain,  March  31,  1888;  commodore,  Feb 
ruary  6,  1898;  rear-admiral,  March  3,  1899;  retired,  October  9,  1901. 


A 


1    5 

1  R 

a  <• 

a  * 


CHAPTER  III 
PREPARATION 

ON  THE  29th  and  30th  of  March,  the  nucleus  of  the  Flying 
Squadron  remained  at  Newport  News,  coaling  and  otherwise 
preparing  for  any  emergency  which  might  arise.  The  presence  of 
Commodore  Schley  aboard  did  not  disturb  any  of  the  routine ;  but  on 
the  31st,  under  his  orders,  the  squadron  moved  to  a  point  just  off 
Fortress  Monroe,  where  a  better  view  of  the  harbor  could  be  obtained 
in  case  hostile  vessels  of  any  kind  should  enter.  It  was  also  considered 
a  better  anchorage  for  his  fleet — which,  naturally,  was  to  be  enlarged. 
That  day,  indeed,  the  fast  cruiser  Columbia  joined  the  squadron. 

PRELIMINARY    DRILL 

There  was  every  indication  that  the  ships  would  remain  there  at 
least  until  after  war  had  been  declared,  a  thing  which  did  not  seem  to 
be  probable  for  some  few  weeks,  and  so  most  of  the  officers  sent  for 
their  wives  and  families,  and  domiciled  them  at  the  nearby  hotels. 
Despite  the  fact  that  this  opened  up  a  clear  line  of  social  duty  and  made 
of  Old  Point  Comfort  a  sort  of  naval  society  rendezvous,  the  squadron, 
under  the  command  of  Commodore  Schley,  became  exceedingly  active 
in  perfecting  arrangements  for  meeting  an  enemy. 

A  systematic  method  of  coaling  and  provisioning  was  arranged  so 
that  each  day's  provisions  used  and  each  day's  coal  consumed  would  be 
replaced  the  same  day,  in  the  event  that  if  war  was  declared  and  a  hur 
ried  summons  was  received  to  proceed  to  sea,  the  fleet  would  be  in 
almost  perfect  condition. 


70  PREPARATION 

SUB-CALIBRE    GUN    PRACTICE 

Nor  was  this  all.  Commodore  Schley  had  no  sooner  taken  com 
mand  than  he  issued  a  series  of  orders  for  sub-calibre  gun  practice, 
promising  that  as  soon  as  perfect  results  were  obtained  by  these  meth 
ods,  he  would  allow  the  using  of  large  ammunition  to  test  the  ability  of 
the  gunners  at  long  ranges.  So  every  morning  for  the  weeks  that  we 
laid  there,  there  could  be  heard  the  popping  of  these  sub-calibre 
cartridges,  and  the  proficiency  of  the  men  was  shown  by  the  rapid 
destruction  of  linen  targets  placed  at  ranges  varying  from  1,000  to  1,500 
yards  from  the  vessels.  Sub-calibre  practice  consists  in  putting  into 
a  disk  which  fits  in  the  breech  of  the  large  guns,  a  forty-four-calibre  rifle 
cartridge  and  firing  it  in  the  same  manner  as  a  large  projectile  would  be 
fired,  but  of  course  with  a  limitation  of  range. 

There  was  a  distinct  rivalry  among  the  ships  over  this  kind  of  shoot 
ing,  which  was  very  refreshing  and  undoubtedly  very  helpful  to  the 
esprit  de  corps.  During  the  afternoons  the  men  were  not  allowed  to 
rest  either,  but  gun  captains  and  ammunition  captains  trained  their  men 
in  the  careful  handling  of  the  large  projectiles,  cartridges  and  explo 
sives.  The  flagship  would  suddenly  signal  also,  at  various  times,  not 
only  of  the  day  but  of  the  night,  for  fire  drills,  for  a  torpedo  attack,  and 
to  clear  ship  for  action,  and  it  was  exciting  indeed  to  see  the  alacrity 
with  which  the  men  accomplished  these  various  manoeuvres,  one  ship 
vieing  with  the  other  in  ability  to  raise  quickly  the  pennant  announcing 
that  the  order  had  been  thoroughly  obeyed. 

NOT   A  SOCIAL   FROLIC 

I  have  told  a  trifle  in  detail  of  these  drills  and  the  activity  displayed 
upon  the  ships  under  Commodore  Schley  to  dispel  the  somewhat 
erroneous  impression  that  has  been  given  at  times  that  the  waiting  period 
of  the  Flying  Squadron  at  Hampton  Roads  was  a  mere  social  frolic,  in 


PREPARATION  71 

which  officers  and  men  alike  took  part.  It  is  true  that  the  officers  who 
were  not  employed  on  watch  or  division  duty  had  shore  leave  in  the 
evening,  but  even  then  I  have  seen  orderlies,  in  the  middle  of  the 
festivities,  rush  into  the  ball-rooms  or  drawing-rooms  of  the  hotels,  noti 
fying  all  officers  to  appear  aboard  at  once,  and  amid  great  excitement  a 
few  minutes  would  suffice  to  find  everybody  back  aboard  ship.  These 
calls  were  made  for  the  special  purpose  of  seeing  how  quickly  ships 
could  be  gotten  ready  for  any  specific  duty. 

THE  MINNEAPOLIS   JOINS  THE  SQUADRON 

On  April  the  2d,  the  Minneapolis,  another  fast  cruiser,  joined  us, 
and  with  the  exception  of  the  Texas  we  now  had  a  very  fast  squadron. 
During  the  days  that  we  waited  there  for  the  declaration  of  war  to  be 
made  upon  the  finishing  of  the  report  of  the  Board  of  Inquiry  in  the 
Maine  matter,  then  sitting  at  Havana,  the  extra  precautions  as  detailed, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  routine  of  the  ships,  were  followed  out  daily, 
even  in  wet  and  stormy  weather.  Some  of  the  things,  of  course,  which 
took  place  during  that  period  might  to  outsiders  have  had  a  humorous 
aspect,  but  to  us  it  was  all  exceedingly  serious  work. 

COLUMBIA  SENT  TO  PROTECT  NEW  ENGLAND  COAST 

I  remember  a  crowd  of  us  were  sitting  in  the  hotel  at  Old  Point 
Comfort  one  evening,  when  a  messenger  rushed  in,  calling  for  officers 
belonging  to  the  Columbia.  The  officers,  amidst  great  excitement, 
started  for  the  dock  where  their  launches  lay.  A  rumor  at  once  arose 
that  the  Spanish  fleet  had  been  sighted  off  the  New  England  coast,  and 
that  the  Columbia  was  to  go  and  find  them,  and,  if  possible,  intercept 
them.  The  absolute  ridiculousness  of  such  a  situation  never  quite 
dawned  upon  anyone  just  then,  because  tearful  women  and  children 
were  bidding  husbands  and  fathers  good-bye.  But,  when  the  Columbia 


72  PREPARATION 

had  steamed  down  the  bay,  we  who  were  left  behind  began  to  realize 
that  while  she  might  have  been  needed  for  some  scout  work,  she  would 
hardly  have  proceeded  alone  to  destroy  the  Spanish  fleet.  It  was  true 
that  the  New  Englanders,  somewhat  alarmed,  had  discovered  numerous 
"Spanish  fleets"  hovering  in  their  vicinity,  and  the  Navy  Department 
had  sent  to  them  to  allay  their  alarm  the  unprotected  cruiser  Columbia, 
Her  principal  feat  during  that  cruise  was  to  stove  a  hole  in  her  bow 
and  get  laid  up  for  repairs, 

RUMORS  OF  SPANISH  FLEET  CAUSES  CONSTERNATION 

On  April  the  5th  some  little  excitement  was  created  by  the  Brook 
lyn  firing  her  large  eight-inch  guns  from  her  forward  turret.  These  guns 
had  been  remounted  and  the  trial  was  made  for  the  purpose  of  testing 
the  mounts,  but  the  rumor  gained  credence  ashore  that  the  Spanish 
fleet  had  passed  inside  the  Capes  and  was  coming  up  to  destroy  Fortress 
Monroe.  A  similar  rumor  a  few  nights  later  created  still  greater  con 
sternation.  There  was  a  dance  at  the  hotel,  it  being  Saturday  night, 
and  the  Army  people  from  Fortress  Monroe  and  the  Navy  contingent 
from  the  fleet  were  fraternizing  in  the  big  ball-room.  Suddenly  faces 
blanched,  for,  as  messengers  passed  about  the  hall,  there  was  a  hurried 
rush  of  Naval  officers  to  their  small  boats  and  Army  officers  to  the  Fort. 
The  women  trailed  on  dismally  behind  in  fear  and  trepidation.  Word 
had  come  from  the  observer  at  the  Capes  that  three  suspicious  vessels 
had  passed  inside,  and  they  were  believed  to  be  Spaniards.  On  the 
ships  active  preparations  were  at  once  begun  to  receive  an  enemy,  and 
the  picket  boats,  launches  from  the  ships,  were  ordered  to  move  further 
down  the  Narrows  so  that  they  might  be  able  to  give  warning  by  colored 
lights  if  an  enemy  was  sighted.  To  cap  the  climax,  the  electric  com 
pany  deemed  it  its  duty  to  extinguish  all  the  lights  ashore,  being  afraid 
that  the  enemy  would  otherwise  be  aided  in  their  bombardment,  and  the 


Copyright,  1002,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

" I  determined  to  develop  their  defenses'" 
(xii) 


PREPARATION  75 

result  was  that  the  hotels  were  filled  with  weeping,  hysterical  women, 
and  grave,  white-faced  men,  who  expected  every  instant  to  hear  a 
shell  come  pounding  through  the  big  corridors. 

A  trifle  later  the  observer  at  the  Capes  notified  the  operator  at  the 
Fort  that  he  had  been  in  error,  but  confidence  had  been  destroyed,  and 
nothing  could  induce  those  in  the  hotels  to  resume  the  festivities  that 
night. 

When  Commodore  Schley,  aboard  the  Brooklyn,  was  informed  by 
Captain  Cook  why  the  ship  had  gone  to  quarters,  he  laughed  very 
heartily  and  asked  if  anybody  could  explain  to  him  where  this  mythical 
fleet  was  supposed  to  have  come  from. 

WHAT  IT  COST  TO  KEEP  THE  BROOKLYN 

The  mere  statement  which  I  have  made  in  the  former  part  of  this 
chapter  that  the  ships  were  kept  fully  supplied  with  coal  and  provisions 
will  not  impress  itself  upon  the  layman's  mind  as  meaning  very  much 
unless  they  know  just  exactly  what  the  keeping  of  one  ship  like  the 
Brooklyn  amounts  to,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  fact  that  there  were 
already  four  of  similar  size  in  this  squadron,  with  the  prospect  of  two  or 
three  more  being  added.  From  the  assistant  paymaster  of  the  Brooklyn 
I  obtained  the  list  of  purchases  necessary  in  one  month  to  sustain  the 
crew,  consisting  as  the  Brooklyn's  crew  did  of  427  men,  20  chief  petty 
officers,  and  33  other  officers. 

In  cash  alone  there  is  paid  to  these  men  $20,000.  There  is  used 
aboard  generally  in  that  month  from  the  general  stores  2,000  pounds  of 
soap,  500  pounds  of  tobacco,  300  yards  of  flannel,  150  yards  of  cloth, 
100  cap  ribbons,  an  average  of  50  suits  of  underwear,  50  pairs  of  shoes, 
25  pairs  of  trousers,  25  overshirts,  besides  whisk  brooms,  scrub  brushes, 
shoe  brushes,  tape,  pins,  needles,  cotton  thread,  knives,  scissors,  spoons, 
and  forks. 


7fi  P RE  PAR  A  TION 

And  then  come  the  provisions.  This  crew  in  one  month  consumed 
6,000  pounds  of  bread,  35  pounds  of  yeast,  3,000  pounds  of  sugar,  300 
pints  of  condensed  milk,  900  pounds  of  coffee,  1 00  pounds  of  tea,  1 ,000 
pounds  of  butter,  200  pounds  of  lard,  8,000  pounds  of  fresh  beef,  2,000 
pounds  of  fresh  fish,  1,800  pounds  of  salt  pork,  1,200  pounds  of  salt 
beef,  800  pounds  of  liver,  900  pounds  of  ham,  480  pounds  of  bacon, 
900  pounds  of  pork  chops,  300  pounds  of  sausages,  400  pounds  of  salt 
mackerel,  500  pigs'  feet,  800  pounds  of  tinned  meats,  240  pounds  of 
bologna,  240  pounds  of  cheese,  800  pounds  of  rice,  300  pounds  of 
macaroni,  300  gallons  of  beans,  400  bushels  of  potatoes,  12  bushels  of 
onions,  20  bushels  of  turnips,  600  heads  of  cabbage,  120  quarts  of  clams, 
480  quarts  of  catsup,  12  pints  of  flavors,  100  pounds  of  dried  fruit,  300 
pounds  of  salt,  30  pounds  of  pepper,  24  pounds  of  curry  powder,  300 
pounds  of  pickles,  30  gallons  of  vinegar,  30  gallons  of  syrup,  and  to 
make  one  omelette  for  the  immense  crew  for  one  morning's  breakfast, 
1,500  eggs. 

THE  AMOUNT  OF  COAL  SQUADRON  USED 

The  four  ships  in  the  squadron,  in  order  to  keep  up  steam,  burned, 
even  in  their  inactivity,  about  300  tons  of  coal  a  day,  and  this  was 
replaced  each  morning  so  as  to  keep  the  bunkers  full,  in  case  of  a 
sudden  call. 

Between  April  7th  and  April  13th,  very  little  of  any  moment 
occurred  on  the  fleet  except  the  redoubling  of  the  efforts  to  make  every 
thing  more  efficient.  About  noon  on  April  1 3th,  there  was  a  general 
scurrying  from  shore,  as  an  order  was  raised  at  the  mastheads  of  the 
ships  for  everybody  to  report  at  once  aboard.  About  the  same  time 
Admiral  Schley  v/ent  ashore  himself  and  affectionately  kissed  his  wife 
good-bye,  giving  a  hint  to  the  other  officers  that  they  were  going  to  sea. 

At  2:50  in  the  afternoon  the  first  active  movement  of  the  squadron 
was  made.  A  string  of  parti-colored  flags  went  up  to  the  masthead  of 


PREPARA  TION  77 

the  Brooklyn,  reading  to  the  initiated,  "Squadron  will  proceed  to  sea," 
followed  by  another  one  giving  the  squadron's  speed  at  ten  knots.  The 
alacrity  with  which  anchors  were  pulled  up  and  the  squadron  headed 
out  was  remarkable,  except  in  the  case  of  the  Minneapolis,  which  ship 
had  swung  so  much  to  her  anchor  that  she  had  fouled  it,  and  had  to  be 
left  by  the  rest  of  the  squadron,  being  ordered  by  the  flagship  to  join  us 
later  off  Cape  Charles. 

The  squadron  moved  down  Hampton  Roads  and  out  to  sea  in 
majestic  procession,  and  when  nearing  the  Capes,  cleared  for  action. 
The  men  aboard,  who  knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  destination  of  the 
ships  or  the  meaning  of  the  order,  were  apparently  crazy  with  delight 
and  the  three  ships  reported  themselves  ready  to  fire  almost  simulta 
neously. 

SQUADRON  BEGAN  EVOLUTIONS  FOR  BATTLE 

It  was  rough  weather  outside  of  the  Capes,  but  as  dusk  approached 
the  fleet  anchored  about  fifteen  miles  off  Cape  Charles,  while  the  dis 
appointed  sailors  who  had  expected  a  fight  restored  the  ships  to  normal 
condition. 

We  remained  there  for  the  night,  the  Minneapolis  joining  us  later 
on,  and  relays  of  men  under  order  of  Commodore  Schley  sleeping  at 
the  guns,  which  were  kept  loaded  as  if  prepared  for  an  attack.  The 
next  day  the  heavy  weather  continued,  but  at  nine  o'clock  anchors  were 
raised,  and  the  squadron  began  evolutions  for  battle,  following  the  flag 
ship's  orders.  This  was  continued  with  much  success  until  a  fierce 
hail  and  wind  storm  compelled  a  cessation.  Anchors  were  dropped 
fourteen  miles  east  of  Cape  Charles  and  we  lay  there  for  another  night. 

The  morning  of  the  1 5th  the  order  was  raised  from  the  flagship  for 
a  gun  drill  with  large  projectiles,  and  for  the  first  time  the  ships  demon 
strated  how  they  v/ould  look  when  actually  engaged  with  an  enemy. 
The  piercing  crack  of  the  six-pounders  and  one-pounders,  the  long, 


78  PREPARA  TION 

reverberating  roll  of  the  thirteen-inch  guns  of  the  Massachusetts,  the 
twelve-inch  of  the  Texas,  and  the  eight-inch  ones  on  the  Brooklyn,  the 
half  naked  men  working  at  the  guns  with  a  will,  the  blinding  flashes 
from  the  mouths  of  the  great  steel  monsters,  and  the  dense  rolls  of 
smoke  as  the  guns  were  discharged,  all  made  a  beautiful  naval  picture 
that  morning. 

In  the  afternoon,  much  to  the  disgust  of  both  officers  and  men,  the 
squadron  ran  back  to  Hampton  Roads,  and  once  more  anchored  off  Old 
Point  Comfort  to  await  anxiously  the  doings  of  Congress. 

Curiously  enough,  the  naval  officers'  families  who  had  been  at  the 
hotels  had  become  firmly  convinced  that  the  squadron  had  departed  for 
good,  and  had  themselves  left  for  their  homes,  so  that  our  little  social 
recreation  which  had  somewhat  broken  the  monotony  was  not 
continued. 

RECEIVED  NEWS  THAT  WAR  HAD  BEEN  DECLARED 

From  April  15th  to  April  25th,  the  fleet  lay  at  Hampton  Roads  in 
a  state  of  distressing  inactivity,  so  far  as  the  movement  of  the  ships 
was  concerned.  The  routine  went  on,  but  the  men  were  so  perfect  in 
discipline  and  drill  and  the  handling  of  the  great  turrets  and  the  big 
guns,  that  it  had  become  merely  a  matter  of  keeping  themselves  in 
practice.  On  the  1 9th  we  received  word  that  war  had  been  declared, 
and  between  that  time  and  the  25th  this  increased  our  impatience  very 
perceptibly.  Commodore  Schley  firmly  believed  that  he  should  take  a 
position  off  the  south  coast  of  Cuba  or  the  north  coast  of  Porto  Rico  to 
intercept,  if  possible,  any  movement  of  Admiral  Cervera's  Spanish 
squadron,  which  was  then  announced  as  being  assembled  at  the  Verde 
Islands.  It  is  a  fact  to  be  noted  here  that  had  his  advice  been  taken 
and  the  Flying  Squadron  sent  to  the  south  coast  of  Cuba  the  probabilities 
are  that  he  would  have  intercepted  Cervera  off  that  coast,  or  in  the  event 


PREPARATION  81 

of  Cervera  refusing  to  accept  the  challenge  and  choosing  Porto  Rico, 
that  the  Spanish  would  have  fallen  into  the  clutches  of  Admiral  Sampson. 

NEW  ORLEANS  AND  SCORPION  ADDED  TO  FLEET 

I  have  walked  up  and  down  with  Commodore  Schley  along  the 
quarter-deck,  on  several  occasions,  as  he  talked  in  an  impatient,  and 
almost  nervous  way  of  the  things  that  he  might  accomplish  if  he  were 
allowed  to  go  to  sea  with  his  present  fleet.  The  Minneapolis  had  been 
detached  from  the  squadron  and  had  gone  scouting,  but  had  been 
replaced  by  the  newly  purchased  New  Orleans  with  her  beautiful  long 
calibre  guns,  and  the  converted  yacht  Scorpion,  under  command  of 
Lieutenant-Commander  Marix,  who  was  navigating  officer  of  the  Maine 
and  judge  advocate  of  the  board  which  investigated  the  explosion. 

The  most  exciting  episode  of  our  stay  at  Hampton  Roads  was  the 
narrow  escape  from  great  damage  of  the  Brooklyn  on  the  morning  of 
the  25th  of  April.  A  heavy  nor'wester,  which  had  been  blowing  for  two 
days,  resolved  itself  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  into  a  furious  gale,  so 
bad  indeed  that  communication  with  the  shore  was  entirely  cut  off,  it 
being  impossible  to  send  either  a  launch  or  a  heavy  whaleboat  across 
what  appeared  to  be  a  ridiculously  small  strip  of  water,  but  which  was 
now  whipped  up  into  monstrous  seas. 

THE  BROOKLYN  DRAGGED  HER  ANCHORS 

The  Brooklyn's  anchorage  was  furthest  down  the  bay  and  about 
700  yards  from  the  Massachusetts,  which  lay  in  very  close  to  the  rip 
raps,  an  old  island  fortification  there.  The  Texas  was  about  500  yards 
astern  of  the  Massachusetts,  and  the  New  Orleans  very  close  to  her,  so 
that  with  a  vessel  of  heavy  draught  it  was  almost  impossible  to  go  up 
the  channel.  Suddenly  the  anchor  which  held  the  Brooklyn  failed  to 
stay  her,  and  with  the  wind  blowing  against  her  exceedingly  high  super- 


82  PREPARATION 

structure  with  such  force  that  it  was  unsafe  to  stand  in  an  exposed 
position,  she  began  to  drift,  slowly  at  first  but  increasing  her  momentum 
every  second.  The  officer  of  the  deck  noticed  her  change  of  position, 
and  saw  at  once  that  she  was  dragging  her  anchor.  Captain  Cook 
summoned,  came  on  deck,  and  ordered  the  second  anchor  dropped. 
Down  it  went  over  the  bow,  and  for  a  minute  or  two  it  held.  Suddenly 
it  too  gave,  and  faster  than  ever  the  Brooklyn  began  to  drive  down 
toward  the  Massachusetts.  To  go  ahead  against  the  two  anchors  was 
impossible  without  fouling  ourselves,  or  without  swinging  around  so  as 
to  strike  the  Texas.  Faster  and  faster  she  drifted  down  upon  the 
Massachusetts,  as  straight  almost  as  though  she  had  been  intending  to 
impale  herself  on  the  heavy  warship's  ram.  Commodore  Schley  had 
come  from  his  cabin,  and  he  and  Captain  Cook  stood  on  the  starboard 
eight-inch  turret,  coolly  gazing  over  the  side.  Personally  I  was  simply 
dancing  with  excitement,  as  were  a  great  many  officers  and  men  near 
me.  "Are  they  going  to  let  her  collide  with  the  Massachusetts?  Why 
do  they  not  do  something?"  As  fast  as  if  steam  propelled,  she  was 
covering  the  narrow  line  of  blue  water  between  her  and  the  Massachu 
setts.  The  battleship  could  not  move.  If  she  backed  away  she  would 
run  ashore.  And  so  they  waited,  Schley  and  Cook  standing  on  the 
starboard  turret  of  the  Brooklyn,  and  Higginson  standing  on  his  forward 
thirteen-inch  turret  watching  for  the  collision  which  seemed  inevitable. 

ADMIRAL'S  QUICK  WIT  AND  COOLNESS  PREVENTS  COLLISION 

Now  we  were  down  on  top  of  her  and  from  the  high  super 
structure  of  the  Brooklyn  we  could  look  into  the  eyes  of  the  men  of  the 
Massachusetts.  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason  had  ordered  the  col 
lision  call ;  the  water-tight  compartments  had  been  closed;  the  collision 
mats  prepared,  and  in  an  instant  we  all  expected  that  the  Brooklyn 
would  be  put  out  of  commission  for  the  rest  of  the  war.  We  were 


PREPARATION  83 

within  fifteen  feet  of  the  terrible  steel  ram  of  the  Massachusetts,  when 
Schley  said  something  quietly  to  Cook,  and  Cook  roared  through  the 
megaphone  to  the  waiting  officer  on  the  bridge,  "Full  speed  astern 
with  your  starboard  engine."  In  an  instant  we  could  hear  the  whirl  of 
the  propeller,  and  in  another  instant  we  could  see  the  Brooklyn  turn 
from  the  ram;  then,  in  a  silence  broken  only  by  the  whirr  of  the  pro 
peller,  we  saw  her  slide  away  from  the  Massachusetts'  steel  beak  and 
simply  touch  her  armor  belt  against  the  heavy  steel  sides  of  the  big 
warship.  There  was  a  crashing  and  smashing  of  metal  as  our  over 
hanging  eight-inch  turret  scraped  away  the  catamaran,  one  of  the  heavy 
whaleboats,  and  four  of  the  big  steel  davits  of  the  Massachusetts,  and 
then,  as  we  slid  gracefully  away  from  her  with  only  that  damage  done 
and  the  ship  saved,  there  rose  a  roar  of  approval  from  both  the  men  of 
the  Brooklyn  and  those  of  the  Massachusetts.  Quick  wit  and  coolness 
had  prevented  a  great  national  calamity,  for  calamity  it  would  have  been 
had  the  Brooklyn  been  disabled  for  the  remainder  of  the  war,  as  she 
would  have  had  she  struck  the  Massachusetts'  ram. 


A? 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"A  shell  accidentally  Jiit  the  lighthouse" 
(xiv) 


CHAPTER  IV 
OFF  TO  SEA 

ON  MAY  the  13th,  after  having  previously  had  word  of  the  mag 
nificent  victory  of  Admiral  Dewey  at  Manila,  the  Flying 
Squadron  received  orders  to  proceed  to  sea.  It  was  about  1:30  in  the 
afternoon  when  the  orders  reached  us,  and  at  four  o'clock,  with  hardly 
a  flurry  and  as  if  a  common  duty  were  being  performed,  anchors  had 
been  raised  and  cleared,  and  the  fleet  moved  down  Hampton  Roads  and 
out  to  sea,  a  majestic  procession  of  beautiful,  formidable  ships,  whose 
future  no  one  ashore  who  watched  them  move  out,  or  no  one  aboard 
them,  could  determine.  The  New  Orleans,  which  was  detached  from 
the  squadron,  was  ordered  to  stay  behind  for  the  purpose  of  guarding 
the  harbor,  and  the  ships  which  followed  the  flag  on  the  Brooklyn  that 
day  were  the  Texas,  the  Massachusetts,  the  Scorpion,  the  collier  Mer- 
rimac  (destined  afterward  to  become  famous),  and  one  other  smaller 

collier. 

SHIPS   STRIPPED  OF   EVERYTHING  ORNAMENTAL 

Never  were  ships  of  any  navy  in  the  world  better  prepared  for 
active  warfare,  both  as  to  their  machinery,  guns,  ammunition,  and  esprit 
de  corps,  than  were  these.  The  great  guns  in  the  turrets  were  loaded 
and  ready  for  action  in  case  an  enemy  was  suddenly  sighted.  The  ships 
had  been  stripped  of  all  their  beautiful  furniture,  handsome  woodwork, 
and  everything  ornamental  or  decorative  that  could  possibly  be  spared, 
the  only  exception  being  the  junior  officers'  piano,  which  they  had  man- 

87 


88  OFF  TO  SEA 

aged  to  keep  aboard.  This  piano,  combined  with  the  mandolin  and 
guitar  club  formed  by  the  ward  room  waiter  boys,  were  our  only  sources 
of  musical  pleasure  during  the  cruise,  for  we  had  no  band  aboard. 

But  though  we  had  lost  our  handsome  furniture  and  all  the  decora 
tive  features  that  go  to  make  a  ship  like  the  Brooklyn  somewhat 
habitable,  we  had  not  forgotten  our  mascots.  The  marines  had  a  pretty 
little  fox  terrier,  which  they  claimed  as  their  special  good  luck  indicator, 
but  naturally  the  marines'  pet  was  not  a  particular  favorite  with  the 
seamen.  The  sailors  had  "  Old  Billy,"  a  very  intelligent  and  deserving 
goat,  who  never  failed  to  take  advantage  of  an  enemy  when  his  back 
was  turned  or  to  revenge  himself  in  quiet  by  chewing  up  some  annoy 
ing  sailor's  hammock.  He  was  a  much  petted,  though  sometimes 
abused,  goat.  He  wore  a  beautiful  silver  collar  adorned  with  inscrip 
tions  of  the  many  fracases  he  had  been  in  and  containing  also  a  record 
of  his  cruises.  He  wore  a  coat  when  on  inspection,  of  such  varied 
colors  as  would  undoubtedly  have  put  Joseph's  coat  of  many  colors  to 
shame,  and  he  had  full  swing  of  the  ship,  going  where  any  enlisted  man 
could  go  if  he  so  pleased.  It  may  be  said  at  this  point  that  the  success 
of  the  Brooklyn  during  the  campaign  was  in  some  great  measure  due 
undoubtedly  to  Billy's  presence  aboard. 

SAILED   UNDER   SEALED   ORDERS 

The  orders  under  which  we  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads  were 
sealed  ones.  They  were  not  opened  until  after  we  had  rounded  the 
cape  and  reached  the  open  sea.  It  was  then  found  that  we  were  to 
proceed  south  to  a  point  off  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  where  we  would 
be  communicated  with  by  the  Department  for  future  instructions. 

As  night  came  on,  the  fleet  under  orders  made  every  preparation 
for  meeting  an  enemy,  Lights  were  doused,  or  in  case  of  absolute 
necessity,  were  masked,  as  soon  as  darkness  came,  and  even  the  guide 
light  in  the  stern  of  each  ship,  used  to  keep  her  fellow  behind  from 


OFF  TO  SEA  89 

running  up  on  her,  was  enclosed  so  it  could  only  be  seen  by  a  ship 
directly  astern.  And  with  the  guns  loaded,  the  ships  partially  cleared 
for  action,  only  the  side  ropes  being  up,  and  with  the  gun  crews 
asleep  at  the  breech  of  their  guns,  the  fleet  proceeded  southward. 

OUR  FIRST  EXCITEMENT 

Eighty  miles  east  and  twenty  miles  south  of  Hatteras  we  had  our 
first  excitement.  Just  at  dusk  a  steamer  was  sighted,  and  when, 
following  a  call  to  quarters  and  preparation  for  a  fight,  it  was  found  she 
was  a  merchantman,  the  Scorpion  was  sent  to  intercept  her.  She 
proved  to  be  the  British  steamer  Elsie,  bound  to  Norfolk  with  fertilizing 
rock,  and  the  men  sniffed  contemptuously  when  they  heard  that  she 
was  not  a  prize. 

The  following  morning,  Sunday,  May  1 5th,  we  stopped  off  Charles 
ton  harbor  and  prepared  to  send  the  Scorpion  in  for  dispatches,  but  just 
as  we  were  going  aboard  of  her,  hoping  to  have  a  nice  little  excursion 
up  to  the  city,  the  lighthouse  signaled  that  she  had  the  dispatches  for  us 
and  would  send  them  off  by  boat.  The  orders  were  obtained  and  found 
to  be  directions  for  us  to  proceed  to  Key  West,  where  the  Navy 
Department  would  further  communicate  with  us.  Monday,  the  16th, 
was  passed  at  sea  with  only  one  eventful  incident  happening,  but  one 
which  went  to  demonstrate  the  perfect  discipline  aboard  even  when  ter 
rible  danger  threatened,  and  elucidate  at  the  same  time  the  fact  that 
grave  danger  lurks  at  all  times  on  a  battleship  and  that  the  greatest  pre 
caution  has  to  be  momentarily  exercised. 

THE  MAGAZINE  WAS  ON  FIRE 

It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  1 6th,  when  only 
the  watch  on  deck  were  active  and  when  others  in  the  ship  were 
wrapped  in  slumber,  that  the  bells  began  to  clang  violently.  These 


90  OFF  TO  SEA 

bells  are  used  for  emergency  calls,  such  as  fire,  collision  or  battle. 
Jumping  from  our  berths  in  a  half  dazed  condition,  as  we  waked  sud 
denly  from  sound  sleep,  we  grasped  our  revolvers  and  cartridge  belts, 
and  sticking  our  feet  in  our  slippers,  without  waiting  to  don  clothes, 
rushed  up  on  deck.  Everything  was  intense  blackness,  for  the  lights 
had  not  been  turned  on,  no  orders  to  that  effect  having  been  given.  I 
had  been  told  that  1  could  go  to  the  bridge  in  such  an  emergency,  and 
immediately  made  my  way  to  it.  Commodore  Schley,  Captain  Cook 
and  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason  were  there.  None  of  them  had 
given  the  alarm,  and  the  officer  of  the  deck  said  that  he  had  not  sent  in 
the  alarm,  either  for  a  torpedo  boat,  or  the  enemy's  fleet.  "Then  one 
of  the  magazines  must  be  overheated,"  said  Mr.  Mason,  in  as  orderly  a 
tone  as  though  he  were  saying  that  breakfast  would  be  served  the  next 
morning.  And  off  he  rushed  to  look  after  the  thing,  while  we  stood  on 
that  bridge  for  four  or  five  minutes,  clad  only  in  our  pajamas,  slippers 
and  war  accoutrements,  trying  to  pierce  the  tense  blackness,  and 
expecting  to  feel  the  bottom  of  the  ship  go  out. 

THE  SAILORS  CARRIED  OUT  HOT  AMMUNITION 

In  a  short  time  Mr.  Mason  reported  to  Captain  Cook  that  a  maga 
zine  next  to  a  coal  bunker  had  become  overheated  because  of  the  fact 
that  the  coal  in  the  bunker  was  on  fire,  and  that  the  automatic  alarm 
had  gone  off.  "Have  you  flooded  the  magazine?"  asked  Captain  Cook. 
"No,  I  have  not/'  replied  Mason.  "The  men  are  taking  the  ammuni 
tion  out  so  as  to  save  it,  and  I  have  turned  steam  on  in  the  bunker  to 
extinguish  the  fire." 

And  then  I  went  below  and  saw  a  lot  of  sailors,  working  under  a 
single  electric  light,  removing  from  a  hot  magazine  which  might  possibly 
have  exploded  at  any  moment,  masses  of  ammunition  that  were  already 
warm  to  the  touch 


1 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"  The  marines  were  in  exposed  positions' 
(xv) 


OFF  TO  SEA  93 

We  steamed  quietly  into  the  harbor  at  Key  West,  and  dropped  our 
anchors  at  midnight.  And  the  next  morning  when  the  hundreds  of 
newspaper  men,  hungry  for  information,  looked  from  their  hotel  windows 
toward  the  bay,  they  saw  the  tall  stacks  and  high  military  masts  of  the 
Brooklyn,  and  knew  that  the  Flying  Squadron  and  its  commander  had 
arrived. 

At  ten  o'clock  that  morning  Commodore  Schley  transferred  his  flag 
to  the  Scorpion  and  went  up  to  Key  West,  where  he  reported  to  Com 
modore  Remy  for  further  orders  from  the  Department.  Captain  Samp 
son,  who  had  been  ordered  to  raise  his  flag  as  a  Rear- Admiral  on  the 
New  York  and  who  was  in  charge  of  the  North  Atlantic  squadron,  being 
absent  on  the  Porto  Rico  expedition  which  proved  so  abortive,  there 
was  a  hearty  greeting  between  the  two  Commodores,  while  a  fringe  of 
newspaper  men  hovered  around  seeking  for  information  which,  even  if 
they  got,  they  found  it  pretty  hard  work  to  transmit  to  the  United  States. 

SCHLEY  AND  SAMPSON  CONFER 

Telegraphic  communications  ensued  between  the  Navy  Depart 
ment  and  Commodores  Remy  and  Schley,  and  finally  the  latter  was 
ordered  to  take  his  squadron  and  relieve  the  "mosquito  fleet"  before 
Havana.  He  returned  to  the  Brooklyn,  issued  his  orders  to  go  to  sea, 
and  was  making  active  preparations  when  the  New  York  was  sighted 
coming  in  beyond  Dry  Tortugas.  Sampson  had  left  his  fleet,  the  war 
vessels  of  which  were  ruining  their  engines  in  dragging  heavy  monitors, 
and  made  a  hurried  run  in  to  Key  West  in  order  to  meet  with  and  con 
sult  Schley.  A  long  conference  ensued  on  board  the  New  York,  and 
when  Commodore  Schley  returned  to  his  flagship  he  stated  with  a  show 
of  much  gratification  and  much  to  our  own  pleasure,  that  we  were  going 
around  the  south  side  of  Cuba  to,  if  possible,  find  the  Spanish  fleet. 
He  said  that  he  and  Admiral  Sampson  had  discussed  the  possibility  of 


94  OFF  TO  SEA 

a  haven  of  refuge  for  the  Spanish  fleet  on  the  southern  coast  and  that 
they  had  both  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  harbor  of  Cienfuegos  was 
the  only  practical  place  for  him  to  go  to,  for  it  was  the  only  southern 
port  that  had  direct  railroad  communication  with  Havana,  and  it  was 
highly  probable  that  the  fleet  brought  with  them,  according  to  our  best 
information,  arms  and  ammunition  for  the  defense  of  Havana. 

SAMPSON  ORDERED  TO  AVOID  SHORE  BATTERIES 

Captain  Cook  was  present  while  Schley  told  this,  as  was  also 
Lieutenant  Sears,  and  he  furthermore  dwelt  upon  the  point  that  Admiral 
Sampson  had  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  he,  Sampson,  had  con 
fidential  instructions  from  the  secretary  of  the  navy  not  to  expose  the 
ships  to  the  fire  of  shore  batteries  until  the  calibre  and  the  number  of 
their  guns  were  absolutely  and  definitely  determined. 

The  Commodore  made  particular  allusion  to  the  pleasantness  of 
his  conversation  with  Admiral  Sampson  and  the  fact  that  they  had 
entirely  agreed  upon  all  subjects.  He  spoke  to  me  particularly  about 
this  as  a  newspaper  man,  because  there  had  been  frequent  rumors, 
some  of  them  printed  in  the  press  of  the  country,  that  because  of  the 
promotion  of  Captain  Sampson  over  the  heads  of  Schley  and  several 
other  ranking  officers  there  would  be  a  friction  which  could  not  be  over 
come.  He  told  me  in  confidence  that  night  that  he  had  told  Admiral 
Sampson  that  he  v/ould  give  him  his  very  heartiest  and  sincerest  sup 
port,  and  he  ended  by  saying  in  relation  to  the  statements  in  the  news 
papers,  "  It  is  all  absolutely  ridiculous.  We  are  all  engaged  in  the 
same  object,  and  we  will  all  work  together  with  a  will." 

ORDERS  FOR  SEA  OCCASION  MUCH  JOY 

When  the  news  spread  around  the  ships  that  night  that  we  were 
to  go  to  sea  early  the  next  morning  and  try  and  find  the  elusive  fleet  of 


OFF  TO  SEA  95 

Cervera,  of  which  the  government  had  no  knowledge  since  its  departure 
from  the  Verde  Islands,  there  was  great  jubilation.  I  know  in  the  ward 
room  of  the  Brooklyn  we  celebrated  in  a  mild,  liquid  way,  and  swore  as 
to  what  we  would  do  when  we  caught  the  Spanish  fleet  at  sea.  Later 
in  the  evening  Commodore  Schley  discussed  with  Captain  Cook,  in 
whom  he  greatly  confided  and  whose  judgment  he  accepted  in  many 
ways,  his  plans  for  the  campaign.  He  was  to  take  with  him  the  Brook 
lyn,  the  Texas,  the  Massachusetts,  the  Scorpion,  and  the  two  colliers, 
and  one  feature  of  his  plan  is  worth  explanation  because  he  has  been 
criticised  for  consuming  too  much  time  in  proceeding  from  Key  West 
to  Cienfuegos. 

It  was  perfectly  agreed  in  the  cabin  of  the  Brooklyn  that  night  that 
the  rendezvous  should  be  Cienfuegos,  and  this  was  signaled  to  the 
remainder  of  the  fleet.  It  was  also  agreed  that  the  fleet  should  take  a 
long  detour  to  the  south  to  reach  Cienfuegos,  so  as  to  keep  out  of  sight 
of  the  land  that  no  indications  of  the  destination  of  the  fleet  might  be 
given  to  the  hostile  Spaniards  in  Cuba. 

THE  FLEET  TO  BE  STRENGTHENED 

The  fleet  as  made  up  was  hardly  supposed  to  be  capable  of  demol 
ishing  a  Spanish  squadron  consisting  of  four  battleships  and  two  torpedo 
boats,  although  Commodore  Schley  never  for  a  moment  believed  other 
wise  than  that  if  he  met  them  he  could  give  them  a  pretty  warm  fight. 
It  was  agreed  between  Schley  and  Sampson  that  the  Iowa,  the  Marble- 
head,  and  the  Nashville  would  join  us  after  they  had  repaired  and 
coaled,  a  matter  perhaps  of  twelve  or  twenty-four  hours,  and  as  there 
was  no  indication  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  anywhere  in  the  vicinity,  it 
was  easily  probable  that  the  entire  fleet  would  rendezvous  at  Cienfuegos 
before  the  Spanish  fleet  arrived  off  the  south  coast. 

Thursday  morning  at  eight   o'clock,    before   the   newspaper  tugs 


96  OFF  TO  SEA 

had  quite  waked  up,  the  Flying  Squadron  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  of 
Key  West  toward  the  western  end  of  Cuba  on  the  hunt  for  Cervera's 
fleet.  One  solitary  little  tug  boat,  in  aggressive  red,  and  with  the  New 
York  Journal  flag  flying  from  her  flagstaff,  began  an  heroic  chase  after 
us,  and  for  four  or  five  hours  afforded  us  a  great  deal  of  amusement  in 
her  endeavors  to  make  an  eight-knot-an-hour  boat  keep  up  with  a  twelve- 
knot  squadron.  She  struggled  away  at  it  heroically,  however,  until  past 
noon,  when  she  saw  the  hopelessness  of  her  task,  and  when  she  was 
just  about  hull  down  we  saw  her  turn  around  and  make  back  toward 
Key  West. 

COMMANDER  M'CALLA'S  AWFUL  BLUNDER 

At  9:30  in  the  morning  we  had  passed  the  Marblehead,  in  command 
of  Commander  McCalla,  together  with  the  converted  yacht  Eagle.  They 
had  been. on  the  Cienfuegos  blockade  for  several  days,  and  Commander 
McCalla  raised  a  signal  as  he  approached  us  asking  permission  to  pro 
ceed.  The  Commodore  signaled  to  the  Scorpion  to  go  over  and  see  if 
they  had  any  messages,  and  the  Eagle  approached  to  communicate  with 
her.  After  a  brief  megaphone  conversation,  the  Scorpion  returned  and 
repeated  it  by  megaphone  to  us.  Her  officers  said  that  Commander 
McCalla  reported  that  he  had  broken  the  blockade  at  Cienfuegos;  that 
the  Nashville,  Cincinnati,  and  Vesuvius  were  somewhere  behind  him, 
and  that  there  was  no  news  of  the  Spanish  fleet. 

And  here  is  where  one  of  the  serious  blunders  of  the  war  was  made. 
If  McCalla  had  stopped  long  enough  to  have  had  direct  communication 
with  Commodore  Schley,  he  would  have  undoubtedly  delivered  the 
message  he  should  have  delivered,  detailing  the  fact  that  there  was  a 
code  of  communication  established  with  the  Cubans  of  Cienfuegos, 
whereby  information  as  to  what  was  transpiring  in  the  city  and  harbor 
could  be  immediately  obtained. 

We  proceeded  that  night  in  battle  order,  and  the  morning  of  the  20th 


OFF  TO  SEA  99 

found  us  some  way  on  our  journey  Early  that  morning  we  had  a  pecu 
liar  accident  which  came  very  nearly  being  an  extremely  serious  one 
for  the  Brooklyn,  had  it  not  been  for  the  coolness  of  the  after  eight-inch 
turret  crew  and  of  Lieutenant  William  E.  Rush,  who  was  in  command 
of  it.  The  after  turret  is  turned  by  electricity,  and  the  guns  are  also 
fired  by  the  same  force.  The  feed  wire  runs  up  in  that  part  of  the  arc 
of  the  circle  through  which  the  turret  does  not  turn.  The  turret  was 
turned  around  too  far  and  cut  the  wires,  and  in  an  instant,  the  wires, 
emitting  a  shower  of  sparks,  were  down  on  the  floor  of  the  turret  amidst 
the  great  eight-inch  powder  bags.  It  was  an  intensely  exciting  and 
interesting  moment;  but  Lieutenant  Rush,  seeing  instantly  the  awful 
gravity  of  the  situation,  called  to  the  men  in  as  cool  a  voice  as  if  he 
were  ordering  them  to  clean  a  gun,  "Boys,  pick  those  wires  up."  The 
men  immediately  obeyed  the  order,  and  picked  up  the  four  or  five  wires 
leading  from  the  feed  cable,  holding  them  until  the  electrician  came  and 
patched  them  up. 


CHAPTER  V 
CLEAR  FOR  ACTION 

,  sir,  on  the  horizon." 
Where  away?" 
"Two  points  on  the  starboard  bow  " 

It  was  the  lookout  in  the  upper  top  of  the  big  United  States  cruiser, 
calling  to  the  officer  on  the  bridge.  Lieutenant  Doyle,  watch  officer  of 
the  day,  snapped  out  the  tubes  of  the  long  telescope  and  swept  the 

horizon. 

SUSPICIOUS  SMOKE  REPORTED  BY  LOOKOUT 

'Three  columns  of  smoke,  by  hookey!"  he  exclaimed,  as  he 
excitedly  jammed  the  brass  tubes  together  again,  and  turning  quickly  to 
one  of  the  two  messengers,  said  sharply,  "Messenger,  report  to  Mr. 
Mason  and  Captain  Cook  that  two  or  more  steamers'  smoke  can  be 


seen." 


Before  the  messenger  jumps  down  from  the  high  bridge  of  the 
Brooklyn,  the  ship  astern  has  sent  up  a  fluttering  signal,  "Suspicious 
smoke  to  the  south,"  and  while  Mr.  Doyle  is  calling  to  the  signal  officer 
of  the  bridge  to  answer  it,  Captain  Cook  and  Lieutenant-Commander 
Mason  have  come  there  accompanied  by  a  tall,  slender  man,  full  of 
nervous  energy,  and  who  wears  a  simple  white  linen  suit,  bearing  no 

insignia  of  rank. 

A  MOMENT  OF  SUSPENSE 

Ail  three  of  them  use  their  binoculars,  but  as  yet  only  the  clearly- 
defined  columns  of  smoke  are  visible. 

101 


102  CLEAR  FOR  ACTION 

"There  are  four  columns  now,  sir,"  said  Lieutenant  Doyle,  and  the 
slender  man,  with  the  iron-gray  hair  and  moustaches,  and  the  little 
grizzled  Parisian  imperial  which  his  fingers  nervously  stroked  as  he 
intently  gazed  at  the  wavering  clouds  of  smoke,  suddenly  replied,  "Yes, 
and  there's  a  mast,  McConnell.  What  do  you  make  of  it?" 

McConnell,  the  reliable  boatswain,  held  the  big  sea-glass  in  a 
steady  hand,  and  looked  long,  earnestly;  still  once  again  he  studied  the 
suspects  before  replying  with  a  note,  almost  of  triumph,  in  his  voice, 
"A  warship,  sir,  by  her  rig." 

MAKING  OUT  A  WARSHIP 

Still,  but  for  the  little,  tense,  excited  group  on  the  bridge,  all  was  as 
usual.  The  big  screws  were  thumping  the  water  with  monotonous  and 
slow  regularity.  The  men  on  the  forward  deck  were  lounging  about, 
playing  cribbage,  sewing,  or  rummaging  through  their  diddy  boxes,  and 
a  very  few  had  arisen  and  were  taking  some  interest  in  the  smoke 
clouds,  which  had  now  become  visible  to  the  naked  eye.  In  the  ward 
room  the  officers  off  duty  were  smoking  and  chatting,  while  from  the 
junior  officers'  mess  came  the  banging  chords  of  a  piano,  and  the  lusty 
voices  of  the  "youngsters"  trolling  out  capstan-turning  roundelays, 
interrupted  now  and  then  by  a  shout  of  laughter. 

Still  like  four  statues  on  the  bridge  stood  the  four  officers,  glasses 
to  eyes,  while  the  long  telescope  of  the  quartermaster  was  pointed  at 
the  gray  smoke  curling  along  the  horizon. 

11  Keep  her  toward  them,"  said  the  Commodore— for  the  gray-haired 
man  was  Schley — to  Captain  Cook,  and  the  wheel  went  to  port  a  few 

turns. 

"It's  a  warship,  sir,"  interrupted  McConnell,  "but  I  can't  make  out 

her  colors." 


*y^ 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company 


'  They  are  all  out  and  coming  to  the  west 

(xvii) 


CLEAR  FOR  ACTION  105 

"Go  to  quarters,"  directed  the  Commodore  to  Captain  Cook,  and 
then  picking  up  the  megaphone,  he  called,  "After-bridge,  there!  Signal 
the  fleet  general  quarters." 

"Call  the  musicians,"  said  Mr.  Mason  sharply  to  the  messenger, 
and  the  musicians  came.  Still  the  big  floating  arsenal  and  its  hun 
dreds  of  inmates  were  quiet,  still  the  officers  in  the  ward  room  chatted 
and  smoked,  while  others  had  gone  to  their  cabins  for  a  nap,  for  this 
idle  floating  and  watching  for  an  enemy's  fleet  under  the  burning  sun  of 
a  tropical  sky  was  conducive  to  inertia.  Inertia,  yes,  while  all  was  at 
peace,  but  a  moment  later  witnessed  a  transformation  that  spoke  vol 
umes  for  the  training  and  make-up  of  Uncle  Sam's  fighting  men. 

"  Sound  the  call  to  general  quarters,"  commanded  Mr.  Mason,  and 
through  the  ship  and  out  over  the  blue  waters  rolled  a  nerve-thrilling 
diapason  of  the  drums,  punctured  and  accentuated  by  the  trumpet's 
shrill  treble. 

LIKE  RATS  FOLLOWING  THE  PIED  PIPER 

And  as  though  vivified  by  an  electric  shock,  the  immense  ship  woke 
to  life  and  action,  and  seemed  to  thrill  with  vitality  and  force.  From 
the  quarters  poured  forth  men,  dressing  themselves  as  they  came, 
never  stopping  for  shoes  or  stockings ;  jackies  wearing  but  loose  trou 
sers  and  no  shirt ;  officers  in  old,  comfortable  linen  coats  and  trousers, 
or  in  one  or  two  instances,  gorgeously-colored  pajamas  in  which  they 
had  tumbled  from  their  berths  at  the  first  sound  of  alarm,  and  buckling 
on  their  side  arms  as  they  ran  to  their  posts. 

And  so,  like  the  rats  following  the  whistle  of  the  Pied  Piper  of 
Hamlin,  the  men  came  scurrying  from  every  direction,  while  the  siren 
shrieked  forth  its  weird  steam  blast,  the  big  gongs  clanged,  and  the 
drums  rolled,  and,  before  the  echo  of  the  clamor  had  died  away,  every 
part  of  the  ship,  from  the  depths  of  the  hold  to  the  top  of  the  high  mill- 


106  CLEAR  FOR  ACTION 

tary  mast,  was  filled  with  active,  bustling  men,  each  in  his  appointed 
place,  and  each  filling  his  special  duty. 

Then  again  the  megaphone  was  lifted,  and  over  the  decks  came 
the  strident  command  of  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason,  ringing  full  of 
strength  and  energy,  "Clear  ship  for  action!" 

CLEAR  SHIP  FOR  ACTION 

There  was  nothing  of  the  braggart  in  Schley's  tone  when,  noticing 
me  sitting  on  a  board  reaching  from  rail  to  rail  of  the  bridge,  he  crossed 
over,  and  placing  his  hand  on  my  shoulder,  said,  while  his  eyes 
sparkled  with  enthusiasm,  "We've  got  them  now,  my  boy,  and  we'll 
lick  them." 

It  was  said  with  that  quiet,  extraordinary  confidence  in  the  ability 
of  anything  American  to  be  unconquerable,  which  has  always  so  strongly 
marked  the  Admiral's  conception  and  appreciation  of  the  American 
sailors'  qualities. 

But  I  hardly  heeded  him,  for  I  was  keenly  interested  in  watching 
the  transformation  going  on  below,  the  while  my  heart  beating  furiously 
somewhere  up  under  the  roof  of  my  mouth,  so  that  I  had  to  swallow 
once  in  awhile  to  keep  it  in  its  right  place.  Along  the  decks,  and 
wherever  my  eye  could  reach  a  kaleidoscopic  change  was  going  on, 
more  wonderful  and  more  rapid  than  ever  magician's  wand  had 
accomplished  in  my  boyhood  books. 

FROM  CHAOS  TO  ORDER 

When  Mr.  Mason  had  called  "Clear  ship  for  action,"  everything 
human  of  that  crew  of  500  men  had  begun  to  move  swiftly.  Imagine  a 
village  of  500  souls  being  suddenly  startled  and  turned  out  by  a  quick 
call  that  an  enemy  was  approaching  and  that  some  defense  must  be 
made.  Picture  the  dire  confusion  that  would  result.  But  here,  in  a 


CLEAR  FOR  ACTION  107 

little  less  than  five  minutes  of  what  seemed  to  be  wildest  chaos,  the 
whirl  stopped  as  suddenly  as  it  had  begun,  and  Mr.  Rush,  in  command 
of  the  second  division,  including  the  after  eight-inch  turret  and  the  port 
eight-inch  turret,  reported,  "All  ready,  second  division,  sir,"  and  follow 
ing  him  in  quick  succession  came  the  report  of  each  division  officer. 

READY  TO  FIGHT 

The  great  ironclad  was  ready  to  fight,  and  the  bugler  blew 
"Silence!"  while  the  men,  at  a  fearful  tension,  the  most  difficult,  nerve- 
testing  period  of  the  whole  situation,  awaited  orders. 

From  the  funnels  of  each  ship  in  the  fleet  were  pouring  forth  great 
masses  of  black  smoke;  the  engines  were  humming  faster,  and  you 
began  to  tingle  with  a  desire  to  be  part  of  this  monster  of  war  and  its 

activity. 

THE  DETAIL  OF  CLEARING  A  SHIP 

And  what  was  done  during  the  five  elapsed  minutes  by  this  quiet 
throng  of  human  beings?  A  tremendous  engine  of  war  had  been  put 
in  shape  to  hurl  death  and  destruction  in  a  manner  marvelous  in  its 
immensity. 

At  the  note  of  warning  500  men  had,  in  perfect  order,  taken  their 
various  stations  and  began  the  work  of  "clearing  ship  for  action." 
They  had  closed  over  200  water-tight  doors,  thus  making  compartments 
that  would  keep  the  ship  afloat  even  though  some  of  them  might  be 
injured.  They  had  coupled  all  the  hose  to  fire  plugs;  covered  the  small 
boats  with  wet  canvas  to  keep  them  from  flying  splinters  if  hit;  put  up 
protection-nets  of  rope  about  the  pilot-house,  gun  sponsons,  and  other 
exposed  places;  taken  down  davits,  hand-rails,  and  anchor  hoists,  and 
laid  them  on  the  deck  so  as  to  give  the  guns  a  clear  sweep;  removed 
everything  movable  or  destructible  from  the  deck;  battened  down  all 
hatches  with  steel  covers;  lowered  all  interfering  ventilating  pipes; 


108  CLEAR  FOR  ACTION 

dropped  overboard  small  boats,  gangways,  paint  buckets,  and  other 
deck  furniture,  filled  all  division  tubs  with  fresh  water;  lashed  the  anchors 
more  securely,  and  furnished  all  the  extra  mechanical  devices  necessary 
for  the  service  of  the  guns. 

THE  BIG  ENGINES  COUPLED 

Down  in  the  heart  of  the  vessel  the  engineers  had  coupled  the  four 
big  engines  and  turned  steam  on  in  the  seventy-five  auxiliary  engines. 
All  of  the  big  boilers  had  been  fired  up,  and  the  stokers  were  pouring  in 
coal  upon  flames  that  already  burned  the  clothes  and  skin,  so  hot  were 
they.  The  dynamos  had  been  put  in  service  to  work  battle-circuits;  the 
turret-turning  engines  tried;  the  ammunition  hoist  engines  and  steering 
engines,  fire-pumps  and  ventilating  and  force-draught  blowers  made 
ready.  Two  thirds  of  the  engineer  corps  had  remained  in  the  main 
engine  and  fire  rooms,  while  the  remaining  one  third  were  distributed  at 
the  auxiliary  engines. 

MAGAZINES  OPENED  AND  AMMUNITION  DISTRIBUTED 

Magazines  had  been  opened,  and  preparation  made  for  ammunition 
shipment  to  each  of  the  forty  guns  by  the  hoists  and  cars  arranged  for 
fast  delivery.  In  the  fighting  tops  of  the  military  mast,  men  had  hoisted 
up  ammunition  for  the  one-pounders  and  were  standing  ready  by  their 
guns.  On  the  bridges  the  signal  men,  range-finders,  and  searchlight 
men  were  grouped,  already  at  work.  In  the  pilot-house  or  conning 
tower  were  men  at  the  wheel,  with  others  at  the  speaking  tubes  and 
similar  devices  which  control  the  ship  by  signal. 

In  the  sick-bay  the  surgeons  had  arranged  their  cases  of  glittering 
instruments,  rolls  of  lint,  splints,  bandages,  and  antiseptics;  had  covered 
tables  with  rubber,  and  everywhere  were  grewsome  suggestions  of 
possible  disaster  to  some  and  death  for  many. 


^^M^^f^^M-^^ 

^•r^^i  ^^S»i  r><s^%:  *>s^&*i  •^si»!  \ 

•  T^*  ^^T^pMA  ***> 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"  The  crew  was  at  muster" 

(xviii) 


*•.* 


CLEAR  FOR  ACTION  111 

In  the  torpedo  rooms  gratings  had  been  removed,  and  pneumatic 
pressure  turned  on  for  the  purpose  of  charging  the  air  flasks;  the  heavy 
torpedoes  rolled  in  and  the  tubes  prepared. 

OLD  GLORY  HOISTED  AT  EACH  TRUCK 

And  lastly,  the  American  flag,  Old  Glory,  that  had  floated  from  the 
flagstaff  at  the  stern  of  the  ship,  came  down  with  the  staff,  while  two 
Stars  and  Stripes  took  its  place  at  the  truck  of  each  of  the  military 
masts,  the  breeze  blowing  through  their  folds  which  waved  defiance  to 
an  enemy. 

From  each  ship  down  the  line,  from  old  Massachusetts  just  astern 
of  us,  the  Texas  further  along,  and  the  Scorpion  in  the  rear,  came  the 
signal,  "All  ready  for  action,"  and  Schley's  hand  came  down  on  his 
thigh  in  self-congratulation  as  he  thought  of  the  readiness  which  this 
small  squadron  showed  to  meet  an  enemy  believed  to  be  superior. 

"Silence!"  blew  the  bugle,  and  there  was  a  death-like  stillness. 

"Load!"  came  another  signal,  and  there  was  a  second's  bustle  as 
the  charges  were  rammed  home  in  the  big  guns. 

Then  "Silence!"  again  came  the  order,  and  the  guns  were  ready 
for  use  at  the  word  "Fire!" 

"Can  you  make  out  her  colors,  McConnell?"  asked  Commodore 
Schley,  in  a  low  tone. 

Again  the  long  glass  was  raised  for  a  searching  study  of  the  bit  of 
bunting  waving  in  the  distance,  and  Lieutenant  Hodgson,  the  Brooklyn's 
navigating  officer,  who  had  come  on  the  bridge,  also  took  a  look. 

"Looks  to  me  like  the  American  flag,"  said  Hodgson,  with  a  grin, 
as  he  handed  over  the  glass  to  McConnell. 

A  look  of  disappointment  spread  over  the  countenances  of  the  offi 
cers,  and,  as  I  gazed  down  at  the  eager,  alert  faces  and  tense  positions 
of  the  men  below,  I  realized  the  bitter  blow  a  vanishing  foe  would  prove 
to  them. 


112  CLEAR  FOR  ACTION 

Slowly  the  superstructure  and  the  hulls  of  the  approaching  vessels 
rose  above  the  horizon,  and  then  the  faithful  McConnell  lowered  his 
glass,  and  with  regret  the  echo  of  every  word  announced,  "The  Cincin 
nati  and  the  Vesuvius,  sir.  It's  the  American  flag." 

"Make  fast,  Cook,"  said  Schley  dolefully,  and  at  Flag-Lieutenant 
Sears'  orders,  the  signal  men  notified  the  squadron,  while  up  from  the 
decks  below  came  a  long  sigh  of  regret  not  altogether  unmixed  with 
sarcastic  reference  to  the  approaching  war  vessels. 

One  thing,  however,  had  been  proved.  The  fleet  was  ready  and 
anxious  to  meet  the  enemy,  and  that  meant  victory. 

My  heart  got  back  to  its  normal  place  while  the  two  warships 
approached,  and  officers  and  men  returned  sulkily  to  their  duty,  restor 
ing  the  ship  to  its  normal  condition. 

CINCINNATI  WAS  READY  TO  FIGHT 

When  Captain  Chester  of  the  Cincinnati  finally  steamed  alongside 
of  us,  he  told  us  how  he  too  was  preparing  to  fight  us,  at  which  the 
men  laughed  grimly. 

"Have  you  seen  the  Spanish  fleet?"  called  Commodore  Schley. 

"No,"  answered  Chester.  "I  don't  think  you  ought  to  meet  them 
with  that  small  squadron." 

"Small  be  d— d,"  replied  Schley.  "We'll  lick  them  when  we  do 
meet  them.  If  you  see  them,"  he  added  jocularly,  "tell  them  we're 
looking  for  them  and  we'll  give  them  a  warm  welcome,"  and  the  sailors 
on  deck  roared  a  cordial  approval. 

CAPTAIN  CHESTER  VISITS  THE  COMMODORE 

Captain  Chester  asked  permission  to  come  aboard,  and  the  squad 
ron  stopped  for  a  short  time  while  he  visited  with  the  Commodore.  He 
was  quite  interesting  in  his  conversation,  telling  how  they  had  practically 


CLEAR  FOR  ACTION  113 

turned  night  into  day  in  blockading  along  the  coast  so  as  to  intercept  any 
vessels  which  might  bring  provisions  or  arms  into  Cuba. 

I  remember  his  giving  a  very  curious  description  of  our  Cuban 
allies.  He  said  that  they  seemed  to  have  no  particular  use  for  the 
Americans  unless  clothes,  food,  or  ammunition  were  forthcoming.  So 
far  they  had  been  of  no  great  assistance  in  either  obtaining  information 
ashore  or  in  acting  in  an  aggressive  manner  toward  the  Spaniards. 
Captain  Chester  was  certainly  not  favorably  impressed  with  them  to 
any  degree. 

CAPTAIN  CHESTER  WANTED  TO  JOIN  SQUADRON 

The  captain  of  the  Cincinnati  was  very  desirous  of  going  with  the 
Flying  Squadron,  but  he  admitted  that  he  would  have  to  coal  within 
twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours  at  the  very  outside.  He  said  that  if 
Commodore  Schley  would  allow  him  to  take  the  collier  which  was 
coming  down  to  us  up  under  Cape  San  Antonio,  he  could  coal  there, 
and  that  would  save  him  going  back  to  Key  West.  Commodore  Schley 
responded  that  he  did  not  care  to  delay  the  fleet  that  long,  and  that  in 
addition  he  did  not  have  any  orders  or  any  authority  to  detach  the  Cin 
cinnati  from  the  duties  she  was  then  performing  and  attach  it  to  the 
Flying  Squadron.  Captain  Chester  was  very  much  disappointed,  say 
ing  that  his  work  off  Cape  San  Antonio  was  very  tedious,  and  that  he 
had  no  news  of  any  character  except  what  he  happened  to  pick  up  from 
passing  vessels,  which  were  not  very  numerous. 

Commodore  Schley  called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  we  had  lost 
one  of  our  colliers  as  we  came  around  from  Charleston,  and  that  if  he 
happened  to  come  across  it  he  might  coal  from  it. 

Captain  Chester  took  regretful  leave  of  Commodore  Schley,  return 
ing  to  his  own  ship,  and  we  continued  our  journey  toward  Cienfuegos, 
keeping,  as  was  the  Commodore's  policy,  out  of  sight  of  the  land  until 
such  time  as  we  should  get  very  close  to  our  destination. 


114  CLEAR  FOR  ACTION 

The  afternoon  and  the  night  of  May  20th  were  uneventful,  but  on 
the  morning  of  the  2 1st  we  sighted  a  bark  and  two  steamers  on  the  hori 
zon  line.  They  evidently  saw  us  about  the  same  time,  for  they  changed 
their  course  and  disappeared  before  we  even  had  a  chance  to  start  to 
chase  them.  A  little  bit  of  excitement  on  the  21st  was  caused  by  the 
discovery  of  a  fire  below  deck  forward  on  the  Scorpion,  supposed  to 
have  been  caused  by  a  broken  electric  wire,  but  it  burned  quite  fiercely 
for  a  short  time.  It  was  pretty  near  where  her  ammunition  boxes  were 
stored,  and  under  orders  from  Commodore  Schley,  the  Brooklyn  was 
slowed  down  and  brought  alongside  of  the  Scorpion,  so  that  we  could 
use  a  fire  hose  on  her  if  necessary. 

However,  Commander  Manx's  crew,  with  a  great  display  of  activ 
ity,  succeeded  in  getting  it  under  control,  although  it  required  heroic 
efforts.  The  dense  smoke  below  deck  made  it  hard  to  fight  the  fire,  and 
several  men  were  overcome  and  had  to  be  rescued  by  their  comrades 
before  the  flames  were  entirely  subdued.  One  officer,  whose  name  I 
do  not  recollect  now,  was  also  badly  overcome,  and  was  ill  for  some  time. 

The  weather  was  now  beginning  to  get  intensely  warm,  the  tropic 
sun  beating  down  upon  the  steel  warships  and  making  them  hardly 
habitable.  During  the  day  we  would  lounge  upon  deck  and  manage  to 
keep  somewhat  comfortable,  particularly  if  there  was  a  light  breeze. 
But  at  night,  with  the  steel  port  covers  closed  down  so  as  to  prevent  the 
enemy  from  discovering  us  by  any  glimmer  of  light,  the  quarters  below 
deck  were  like  Turkish  baths.  Luckily,  on  the  Brooklyn  we  had  an  ice 
machine,  which  worked  fairly  well,  and  the  more  fortunate  officers  had 
electric  fans  in  their  rooms.  At  midnight  of  the  21st,  the  navigating 
officer  reported  that  we  were  not  more  than  twelve  miles  from  Cienfue- 
gos  harbor,  and  signal  was  made  to  the  squadron  to  reduce  speed  to  two 
and  one-half  knots,  which  was  barely  moving,  so  that  v/hen  morning 
came  we  would  be  in  position  off  the  harbor  of  Cienfuegos. 


r 


CHAPTER  VI 
OFF  CIENFUEGOS 

THE  morning  of  May  22d,  the  squadron  steamed  in  to  within  3,000 
yards  of  the  harbor  entrance  of  Cienfuegos,  and  from  the  flag 
ship  we  could  distinctly  see  Spaniards  with  small  boats  evidently 
engaged  in  placing  mines  across  the  harbor  entrance.  It  was  our  first 
close  view  of  Cuban  shores,  and  there  was  nothing  particularly  inviting 
about  them.  The  mountains  ran  up  to  a  great  height  sheer  from  the 
shore  and  a  heavy  surf  broke  along  the  entire  coast-line  in  almost  unin 
terrupted  continuity,  practically  forbidding  the  landing  of  small  boats, 
unless  they  went  in  the  harbor  itself. 

HEAVY  FIRING   HEARD  ON  SHORE 

On  deck,  that  morning,  Boatswain  Hill  and  Lieutenant  Simpson, 
who  had  been  the  officer  of  the  watch  the  night  previous,  reported  that 
they  had  heard  heavy  firing  on  shore  during  the  previous  evening. 
Captain  Cook  reported  this  to  Commodore  Schley,  who  was  on  the 
bridge  at  the  time  making  a  survey  of  the  harbor  entrance,  and  the 
Commodore  replied  that  he  had  also  heard  the  firing  of  big  guns  at  such 
intervals  as  would  seem  to  indicate  the  arrival  of  a  fleet 

BLOCKADING  THE   HARBOR 

The  general  supposition,  therefore,  upon  our  ship,  was  that  the 
Snanish  fleet  had  arrived  in  the  harbor,  and  that  upon  their  entering 

117 


118  OFF  CIENFUEGOS 

they  had  been  saluted,  or  had  saluted  a  flag.  Commodore  Schley 
ordered  a  signal  to  be  made  to  the  other  vessels  announcing  that  he 
had  heard  such  a  salute.  The  squadron  was  brought  around  so  that 
the  broadsides  pointed  toward  the  harbor  entrance,  although  there  was 
some  little  movement  of  feigned  disorder  with  the  hopes  that  the  enemy, 
if  they  were  within  the  harbor,  would  notice  it  and  make  an  attempt  to 
come  out.  It  must  be  remembered  that  it  was  not  a  very  formidable 
squadron.  There  were  two  battleships — the  Massachusetts,  a  first- 
class,  and  the  Texas,  a  second-class ;  one  armored  cruiser,  the  Brooklyn, 
and  one  converted  yacht,  the  Scorpion.  As  a  fighting  squadron  it  was 
not  to  be  compared  with  the  one  supposed  to  be  in  the  harbor,  and  if  it 
had  developed  into  a  fact  that  the  Spanish  squadron  was  really  there  and 
had  they  sought  to  come  out  fighting  their  ships  with  any  sort  of 
strategical  force,  it  is  a  serious  question  whether  they  would  not  have 
been  able  to  have  escaped  with  a  portion  of  their  fleet.  The  supposi 
tion  was  that  they  had  with  them  three  torpedo  boats.  There  were  also 
presumed  to  be  in  the  harbor  four  first-class  armored  cruisers  with 
better  protection  and  larger  guns  than  our  armored  cruiser,  the  Brooklyn, 
and,  in  fact,  equal  in  protection  and  armament  to  our  second-class 
battleship,  the  Texas,  and  all  of  them  with  an  accredited  speed  much 
greater  than  any  of  our  ships  except  the  Brooklyn. 

A   PLAN   OF   ACTION  FORMULATED 

We  discussed  this  thing  on  the  deck  of  the  Brooklyn  that  morning. 
It  was  pointed  out  that  we  did  not  have  a  single  torpedo  boat,  and  that 
our  only  hope  of  whipping  the  Spaniards,  if  they  chose  to  start  out,  was 
in  concentrating  such  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  first  vessel  that  came  out 
of  the  narrow  entrance  that  we  would  disable  or  sink  her  and  then 
follow  out  the  same  plan  with  the  others,  if  they  could  manage  to  come 
by  her. 


OFF  CIENFUEGOS  119 

So  far  we  had  not  seen  anything  of  the  scouts,  the  Minneapolis, 
St.  Paul,  Harvard,  and  the  St.  Louis,  all  of  which  had  been  sent  down 
there  a  week  before  to  locate,  if  possible,  the  Spanish  fleet,  and  Com 
modore  Schley  believing  that  perhaps  they  might  be  in  the  vicinity  of 
Santiago  harbor,  detached  and  dispatched  the  Scorpion  to  go  down  to 
that  point  and  communicate  with  them  if  they  could  be  found. 

PASSING  THE  HARBOR  ENTRANCE 

During  the  morning  we  passed  twice  in  front  of  the  harbor  entrance 
in  column,  and  Commodore  Schley  and  Lieutenant  Hodgson,  the  navi 
gator  of  the  Brooklyn,  from  the  crow's  nest  at  the  top  of  the  military 
mast,  with  binoculars  and  long  glass,  attempted  to  look  into  the  harbor. 
At  one  point  the  top  of  ships'  masts  could  be  seen,  and  several  columns 
of  smoke  were  visible.  But  it  was  extremely  hard  to  get  anything  like 
a  clear  view  of  the  harbor,  because  the  principal  part  of  it  was  behind  a 
point  that  projected  to  the  eastward. 

At  one  o'clock  that  day  the  Iowa  arrived,  having  completed  her 
coaling  operation  at  Key  West  and  making  somewhat  better  time  down 
than  we  did,  because  she  did  not  have  to  stop  or  communicate  with 
other  ships  and  had  made  a  closer  line  to  shore  than  we,  Captain 
Evans  seeing  no  necessity  for  deceiving  those  on  shore. 

A  LETTER  FROM  SAMPSON 

In  the  morning  the  Dupont  arrived,  bringing  dispatches  from 
Admiral  Sampson  directing  that  the  blockade  of  Cienfuegos  be  pre 
served,  and  notifying  Commodore  Schley  to  communicate  with  the 
scouts  off  Santiago  for  information.  It  was  this  torpedo  boat  that 
brought  the  personal  letter  to  Commodore  Schley,  which  began  "Dear 
Schley,"  and  which  complimented  the  Commodore  upon  the  work  he 
had  done  so  far,  and  told  him  that  although  the  Navy  Department's  idea 


120  OFF  CIENFUEGOS 

was  that  the  fleet  was  in  Santiago  harbor,  he,  Sampson,  still  believed 
Cienfuegos  was  the  objective  point,  and  advised  Schley  not  to  leave 
that  place  until  he  was  absolutely  certain  that  the  Spanish  squadron 
was  not  there  or  coming  there.  This  advice  was  very  contrary  to  the 
orders  of  the  Department,  which  specifically  directed  Sampson  to  order 
Schley  to  proceed  at  once  to  Santiago. 

Secretary  Long  had  sent  to  Sampson  on  May  19th  this  dispatch  : 

SAMPSON,  Naval  Station,  Key  West,  Fla.: 

The  report  of  the  Spanish  fleet  being  at  Santiago  de  Cuba  might 
very  well  be  correct,  so  the  Department  strongly  advises  that  you  send 
word  immediately  by  the  Iowa  to  Schley  to  proceed  at  once  off  Santiago 
de  Cuba  with  his  whole  command,  leaving  one  small  vessel  off  Cien 
fuegos,  Cuba,  and  meanwhile  the  Department  will  send  the  Minneapolis, 
now  at  St.  Thomas,  and  Harvard  to  proceed  at  once  off  Santiago  de 
Cuba  to  join  Schley,  who  should  keep  up  communications  via  Nicolas 
Mole  or  Cape  Haytien.  If  Iowa  has  gone,  send  orders  to  Schley  by 
your  fastest  dispatch  vessel.  LONG. 

SAMPSON  DISOBEYS  ORDERS  OF  NAVY  DEPARTMENT 

Instead  of  obeying  this,  and  failing  to  consider  that  the  Department 
with  very  many  more  lines  out  for  the  gathering  of  news  had  much 
better  information  than  he,  Sampson,  had,  the  Admiral  sent  by  the 
Dupont  a  practical  order  to  Schley  to  remain  off  Cienfuegos,  and 
addressed  this  communication  to  the  Navy  Department: 

KEY  WEST,  May  20,  1898. 
SECRETARY  OF  NAVY,  Washington: 

Referring  to  the  Department's  telegram  of  May  19,  58  cipher 
words,  beginning  "verberabam/'  after  considering  information  contained 
therein  have  decided  in  favor  of  plan  already  adopted  to  hold  position, 
Cienfuegos,  with  Brooklyn,  Massachusetts,  Texas,  Iowa,  Marblehead, 
Castine,  Dupont,  and  two  auxiliary  vessels.  There  are  remaining  the 
New  York,  Indiana,  and  monitors  for  Havana.  These  latter  are  very 
inefficient  and  should  not  be  sent  from  base.  I  have  directed  Schley  to 
communicate  with  auxiliary  vessels  at  Santiago,  and  direct  one  of  them 


v 


• 


- 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"  77z<?  Oregon  was  coming  to  help  the  Brooklyn 
(xx) 


i 


OFF  CIENFUEGOS  123 

to  report  from  Mole  or  Cape  Haytien,  then  to  return  to  Santiago  and 
report  further  at  Cienfuegos  or  Havana  as  they  consider  best.  The 
plan  may  be  changed  when  it  becomes  certain  a  Spanish  fleet  is  at 
Santiago.  SAMPSON. 

ORDERED  SCHLEY  TO  SANTIAGO 

But  the  next  day  Admiral  Sampson  evidently  had  a  change  of  heart, 
and  he  dispatched  the  Hawk  to  find  Schley  and  order  him  to  move  to 
Santiago,  while  he  sent  the  Department  a  dispatch  dated  May  21st, 
saying  that  he  had  finally  ordered  Schley  to  go  to  Santiago  de  Cuba. 
But  while  his  dispatch  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  read  as  follows: 

KEY  WEST,  FLA.,  May  21,  1898. 
SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY,  Washington: 

Schley  has  been  ordered  to  Santiago  de  Cuba.  SAMPSON. 

the  truth  was  that  the  dispatches  sent  by  the  Hawk  were  not  distinct 
and  definite  orders  at  all  for  Schley  to  move  to  Santiago.  The  fact  of 
the  matter  was  that  the  dispatch  read,  "If  you  are  satisfied  that  the 
Spanish  fleet  is  not  at  Cienfuegos,  proceed  with  all  dispatch  to  Santiago." 
The  Hawk,  with  these  dispatches,  arrived  together  with  the  Castine, 
a  gunboat,  and  the  Merrimac,  the  collier,  on  the  morning  of  the  23d.  In 
the  meantime  no  communication  had  been  established  with  the  shore, 
the  high  surf  preventing  the  landing  of  a  boat,  and  peculiar  signals  seen 
at  night  giving  us  the  impression  that  the  coast  was  guarded  and  that 
the  enemy  was  keeping  up  signals  with  the  fleet  in  the  harbor  so  as  to 
notify  them  of  our  every  movement. 

SCHLEY'S  BLOCKADE  QUITE  EFFECTIVE 

The  blockade,  as  established  by  Commodore  Schley,  considering 
the  smallness  of  his  squadron,  was  quite  effective.  A  picket  line  was 
placed  inside,  about  two  miles  from  shore,  consisting  variously  of  the 
Scorpion,  Dupont,  and  Castine;  while  the  Brooklyn,  Massachusetts, 
Texas,  and  Iowa  formed  a  line  about  four  miles  from  the  harbor  entrance. 


124  OFF  CIENFUEGOS 

The  curious  part  of  the  situation  was  that  while,  as  afterward  discov 
ered,  the  Spanish  fleet  had  been  in  Santiago  for  six  days,  the  four  fast 
scouts  were  absolutely  in  ignorance  of  it  and  were  daily  sending 
dispatches  to  the  Department.  Captain  Cotton,  of  the  Harvard,  on  the 
25th  telegraphed  Secretary  Long  as  follows: 

Left  the  Yale  and  St.  Paul  at  Santiago  May  24.  Minneapolis  has 
gone  to  report  to  Schley  at  Cienfuegos.  Yale  reconnoitered  Santiago 
de  Cuba  May  21.  He  reports  fortified  strongly.  Saw  nothing  in  harbor. 
I  have  not  seen  the  Spanish  fleet.  Have  not  ascertained  anything 
respecting  recent  movements  the  Spanish  fleet.  Proceed  for  coal  to 
Key  West  May  26.  I  have  only  450  tons  of  coal.  The  Minneapolis 
must  coal  within  the  next  few  days.  Yale  early  next  week.  Schley 
directs  me  to  inform  the  Department  Sampson  decided  to  have  the  com 
mand  of  Schley  stationed  off  Cienfuegos  and  his  own  off  Havana.  The 
Minneapolis  reconnoitered  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  May  21.  Spanish 
fleet  not  there. 

SCOUT  SHIPS  FAIL  TO  LOCATE  SPANISH  FLEET 

The  criticism  has  been  applied  that  within  a  day  after  Schley  arrived 
at  Cienfuegos,  and  again  within  a  day  after  he  arrived  at  Santiago,  he 
should  have  determined  by  shore  communication  the  exact  location  of 
Cervera's  fleet.  But  these  four  scouts  had  been  in  the  vicinity  of 
Santiago  since  May  18th,  and  in  one  case,  that  of  Captain  Sigsbee,  and 
according  to  another  case  as  quoted  above,  that  of  Captain  Wise,  of  the 
Yale,  had  reported  with  almost  absolute  positiveness  that  there  v/ere  no 
indications  of  the  Spanish  fleet  being  in  that  vicinity.  And  yet  in  com 
fortable  berths,  cleaning  their  bottoms  and  getting  on  a  supply  of  coal, 
securely  hidden  behind  the  high  hills,  the  Spanish  fleet  of  Cervera  had 
been  anchored  in  Santiago  harbor. 

SCHLEY  THOUGHT  FLEET  WAS  IN  CIENFUEGOS 

This  was  the  exact  situation  on  May  22d,  when  Commodore  Schley 
decided  to  take  the  advice  of  Admiral  Sampson  and  remain  at  Cienfue 
gos.  The  most  serious  part  of  the  problem  naturally  was  the  coaling  of 


OFF  CIENFUEGOS  125 

our  warships,  which  will  be  treated  of  in  a  separate  chapter.  The  inde 
cision  of  Sampson,  and  his  failure  to  carry  out  the  definite  orders  of  the 
Department,  were  not  entirely  the  reasons,  however,  why  Schley 
remained  at  Cienfuegos.  He  himself  still  believed  that  the  Spanish  fleet 
was  either  inside  the  harbor,  or  that  he  would  catch  them  at  sea  trying 
to  go  in,  and  this  opinion  of  his  was  further  strengthened  at  noon  on  the 
23d,  when  the  British  steamer  Adula,  of  the  Atlas  line,  Captain  William 
Walker,  approached  us  and  asked  permission  to  go  in  the  harbor. 

ALLOWED  BRITISH  STEAMER  TO  ENTER  HARBOR 

Captain  Walker  stated  that  he  was  under  orders  from  United  States 
Consul  Dent  at  Kingston  to  bring  away  one  Hoffern,  a  sailor  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  Niagara,  who  was  in  the  Spanish  hospital  with  a  broken  leg. 
And  then  this  British  captain  told  us  a  story  which  practically  firmly  con 
vinced  the  Commodore  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  not  in  Santiago,  and 
that  if  he  desired  absolute  information  as  to  whether  they  were  in  that 
harbor  or  in  the  harbor  of  Cienfuegos,  it  would  be  wise  to  allow  the 
Adula  to  go  in  and  wait  for  her  to  come  out,  compelling  her  captain,  if 
possible,  to  give  us  information. 

The  British  captain  had  said  that  on  the  night  of  the  18th  he 
counted  seven  ships  by  the  lights  they  carried,  about  seventy  miles  south 
one-half  west  of  Santiago.  The  next  day  it  had  been  reported  at  King 
ston,  Jamaica,  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  at  Santiago,  but  on  the  day 
following,  May  20th,  they  had  left  and  gone  to  Cienfuegos.  He  volun 
teered  the  further  information  that  the  harbor  of  Cienfuegos  was 
defended  with  electric  mines  which  did  not  work  well,  but  that  the  oper 
ations  we  had  noticed  were  the  replacing  of  those  mines  with  contact 
mines.  He  said  there  were  two  little  gunboats  and  one  torpedo  boat  in 
the  harbor,  and  that  there  was  plenty  of  room  for  the  Spanish  fleet  to  lie 
out  of  sight  of  any  vessels  passing  the  harbor  entrance. 


126  OFF  CIENFUEGOS 

Captain  Walker  promised  that  if  he  went  in  he  would  not  be  gone 
over  three  hours.  He  was  allowed  to  proceed,  and  when  three  o'clock 
came  the  Commodore  began  to  look  anxiously  for  the  British  steamer, 
expecting  to  get  the  coveted  information  regarding  the  Spanish  ships. 
Four  o'clock  came;  five  o'clock  came,  and  then  darkness;  but  the  Adula 
appeared  not.  And,  finally,  more  than  ever  Schley  was  convinced  that 
the  Spanish  fleet  was  at  Cienfuegos,  and  that  they  had  purposely  held 
the  Adula  in  the  harbor  so  that  we  would  not  be  able  to  gain  any 
information. 

The  Hawk  left  with  mail  that  night,  and  again  we  saw  on  the  shore 
several  times  at  different  places  the  three  white,  bright  lights  which 
looked  like  Spanish  signals. 

SHIPS  AGAIN  CLEARED  FOR  ACTION 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th,  just  after  daybreak,  there  was  a 
general  call  to  quarters,  ships  were  cleared  for  action,  and  once  more 
we  believed  that  the  will-o'-the-wisp  fleet  of  Spain  had  been  found  by  us, 
and  that  we  were  going  to  have  a  sea  fight.  Once  more,  however,  we 
were  deceived,  and  the  three  vessels  which  approached  us  proved  to  be 
the  unprotected  cruiser  Marblehead,  and  the  two  converted  yachts,  the 
Eagle  and  the  Vixen. 

COMMANDER  McCALLA  EXPLAINS  SIGNAL  LIGHT 

When  Commander  McCalla,  of  the  Marblehead,  reported  aboard, 
Commodore  Schley  told  him  of  the  suspicious  movements  of  the  Adula, 
and  then  spoke  of  the  noticing  of  signal  lights  on  the  shore  at  night. 
McCalla  said  in  an  evidently  very  much  surprised  way,  "Why,  those 
were  signals  from  the  insurgents  who  desired  to  communicate  with  you. 
Didn't  you  know  about  that?" 

"No,"  said  Schley,  shortly.     And  for  a  few  moments  I  thought  his 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"T/ie  Brooklyn  and  Oregon  were  bow  and  quarter' 
(xxi) 


OFF  CIENFUEGOS  129 

temper  would  get  the  better  of  him  and  that  he  would  say  something 
ugly.  He  stamped  up  and  down  the  quarter-deck,  twitching  nervously 
at  his  little  imperial,  and  grinding  his  heels  savagely  down  on  the  deck. 

"Why  in  the  world  didn't  you  tell  me  about  this?"  he  said  to 
McCalla.  "Here  I  have  been  waiting  two  or  three  days  to  get  definite 
information  from  the  shore." 

McCalla  said  something  about  the  matter  having  slipped  his  mind 
when  he  passed  Schley  Sunday  morning. 

SPANISH  FLEET   NOT   IN  CIENFUEGOS 

The  Adula  had  not  yet  come  out,  so  Schley  ordered  McCalla  to  go 
down  and  communicate  with  the  insurgents  at  the  spot  where  the  lights 
had  been  shown.  McCalla  went  down,  and  in  a  few  hours  returned 
with  the  information  that  the  insurgents  were  in  need  of  arms,  provi 
sions  and  ammunition,  and  with  the  still  more  important  news  that  the 
Spanish  squadron  was  not  in  the  harbor. 

Schley  at  once  said,  "We  will  move  to  Santiago." 
In  the  afternoon  the  Brooklyn  transferred  3,000  rounds  of  ammu 
nition,  some  clothing  and  food,  three  dry-cell  batteries,  and  100  pounds 
of  gun-cotton  to  the  Marblehead,  and  ordered  her  to  convey  them  to  the 
insurgents,  the  gun-cotton  and  batteries  to  be  used  for  the  explosion  of 
the  mines  in  the  harbor. 

SQUADRON  MOVES  TOWARD  SANTIAGO 

At  eight  o'clock  that  night,  after  sending  the  torpedo  boat  Dupont  to 
communicate  with  Sampson  at  Havana  and  ordering  the  Castine  to 
remain  in  front  of  Cienfuegos  and  await  the  return  of  the  Scorpion,  the 
squadron  began  to  move  toward  Santiago. 

The  first  movement  was  to  the  southeast  so  as  to  deceive  the 
Spaniards  ashore  as  to  the  direction  in  which  we  were  going;  and  then, 
after  an  hour  in  that  way,  we  pointed  directly  east,  still  in  pursuit  of  the 


130  OFF  CIEfrFUEGOS 

elusive  squadron,  the  exact  location  of  which  was  puzzling  all  our  fleets 
and  all  our  scouts. 

COMPELLED  TO  REDUCE  SPEED  OF  SQUADRON 

During  Wednesday,  May  25th,  Commodore  Schley  attempted  to 
keep  the  squadron  up  to  a  speed  of  twelve  knots,  but  the  weather  was 
very  heavy,  and  because  of  the  Eagle  and  the  Vixen,  the  two  converted 
yachts,  and  the  collier  Merrimac  with  broken  engines,  he  was  compelled 
to  reduce  the  speed  to  not  more  than  eight  knots.  He  was  excessively 
exasperated  over  this,  and  yet,  as  he  said  to  Captain  Cook,  "  I  suppose 
I  might  leave  them,  but  if  that  fleet  is  anywhere  in  this  vicinity,  it 
wouldn't  be  safe  or  decent  to  leave  part  of  my  squadron,  and  so  I'll  have 
to  stay  with  them." 

The  squadron  consisted  at  this  time  of  the  Brooklyn,  Massachu 
setts,  Texas,  Iowa,  Marblehead,  Vixen,  Eagle,  and  the  collier  Merrimac. 
All  day  long  there  was  a  heavy  northeast  gale,  and  the  small  yachts 
simply  wallowed  in  the  heavy  sea. 

The  morning  of  Thursday,  May  26th,  found  us  at  eight  o'clock 
about  eighty  miles  to  the  west  of  Santiago,  and  still  in  heavy  weather. 
Finally  Schley  became  so  exasperated  at  the  slow  speed  that  he  ordered 
the  Eagle  to  do  the  best  she  could  to  get  over  to  Jamaica,  coal  there, 
and  go  back  to  Key  West. 

THE  MERRIMAC  DISABLED 

At  two  p.  m.  we  were  forty  miles  from  Santiago.  The  collier 
Merrimac  was  disabled  by  the  breaking  of  her  intermediate  pressure 
valve  stem  and  the  cracking  of  the  stuffing  box.  This  served  as  a 
further  embarrassment  to  the  squadron  and  the  source  of  considerable 
anxiety,  as,  with  the  weather  conditions  that  had  prevailed  since  leaving 
Cienfuegos,  it  appeared  absolutely  necessary  to  abandon  the  position  off 


OFF  CIENFUEGOS  131 

Santiago  and  seek  a  place  where  the  vessels  could  be  coaled  and  the 
collier's  machinery  repaired. 

At  six  o'clock  we  had  arrived  at  a  point  off  Santiago  harbor,  with 
the  heavy  weather  still  continuing.  We  sighted,  a  few  minutes  after 
that  hour,  the  Minneapolis,  the  St.  Paul,  and  the  Yale,  the  three  scouts 
that  had  been  sent  there  by  the  government  to  locate  Cervera's 
squadron.  None  of  them  reported  having  any  knowledge  of  the  Spanish 
fleet. 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

'"''Don't  throw  that  body  overboard" 
(xxii) 


CHAPTER  VII 
COALING 

[\/l  UCH  as  the  layman  might  reason  to  himself  that  ammunition, 
guns,  and  men  are  the  practical  sinews  of  war,  an  experience 
like  this  which  Commodore  Schley  and  his  squadron  were  going 
through  would  seem  to  combat  that  theory,  for  it  proved  conclusively 
that  one  of  the  most  important  sinews  is  coal. 

DIFFICULTIES  OF  COALING 

Here  were  three  great  scout  ships,  burning  among  them  300  tons 
of  coal  each  day;  three  battleships,  an  armored  cruiser,  and  two 
auxiliaries,  1,000  miles  from  their  base  of  supplies,  with  but  one  small 
collier  to  supply  their  needs  in  the  coal  line,  and  a  heavy  sea  running 
with  a  head  wind,  so  that  it  was  extremely  dangerous  and  difficult  work 
for  the  collier  to  go  along-side  of  the  massive  warships. 

Cold  boilers,  and  therefore  useless  engines,  would  not  make  a  very 
good  showing  if  the  Spanish  fleet  were  to  appear;  and  even  if  the  case 
did  not  become  as  serious  as  that,  a  depleted  coal  supply  would  have 
forbade  us  chasing  the  Spanish  squadron  very  far  if  they  had  managed 
to  touch  anywhere  and  coal.  The  Iowa,  very  curiously,  had  not  stopped 
at  Key  West  long  enough  to  obtain  a  full  coal  supply,  although  there 
was  every  facility  there  for  that  purpose,  and  she  would  not  have  been 
delayed  a  sufficient  time  to  cause  the  squadron  any  trouble.  The  Texas 
was  partially  out  of  coal,  and  the  little  converted  yachts  and  the 

135 


136  COALING 

Marblehead  with  only  small  bunkers,  could  not  hold  enough  to  keep 
them  in  good  form  more  than  two  or  three  days  at  a  time. 

THE  COLLIER  MERRIMAC  A  "  HOODOO  " 

The  collier  was  the  Merrimac,  and  it  was  a  cause  of  favorable 
comment  any  day  after  she  had  joined  us,  if,  at  least  every  five  hours, 
she  did  not  report  some  trouble  with  her  boilers,  engines,  or  steering 
gear. 

Twice  during  the  26th  we  had  made  short  stops,  and  attempted  to 
coal  the  ships.  They  would  get  a  little  bit  of  coal  in  them  from  the 
collier,  and  then,  up  would  go  a  string  of  signal  flags  announcing  that 
the  collier  was  getting  knocked  to  pieces  by  the  pounding  against  the 
heavy  sides  of  the  warships.  The  facilities  for  coaling  from  the  collier 
were  absolutely  of  the  worst  character.  The  Navy  had  always  managed 
to  coal  from  docks  at  supply  stations  prior  to  this,  so  the  ships  were  not 
provided  with  anything  which  would  make  coaling  from  a  collier  in  the 
open  sea  an  easy  matter.  The  colliers  themselves  had  been  sent  for 
ward  without  attention  having  been  paid  to  seemingly  any  detail  except 
that  of  putting  a  supply  of  coal  aboard.  Old  wooden  fenders,  which 
were  shredded  into  pulp  in  a  very  brief  period,  were  all  the  defense 
which  the  light  iron  collier  had  from  the  great  armored  sides  and  pro 
truding  gun  sponsons  of  the  warships.  The  Texas,  which  needed  coal, 
was  the  worst  offender  in  this  matter  of  smashing  the  collier.  Her 
protruding  twelve-inch  gun  sponsons,  on  either  port  or  starboard,  would 
invariably  come  down  with  a  crash  on  the  side  of  the  small  collier,  if  a 
heavy  sea  rolled  the  two  vessels  while  they  were  fastened  together. 

IMPOSSIBLE  TO  COAL  TEXAS— FACING  THE  SITUATION 

Everything  seemed  to  indicate  that  a  vessel  with  tumble-in  sides, 
like  the  Brooklyn,  was  very  much  better  for  coaling  purposes  at  sea 


COALING  137 

than  were  the  heavy  warships  with  overhanging  sponsons.  But,  of 
course,  Commodore  Schley  had  to  face  the  situation  in  the  way  in  which 
he  found  it,  and  the  weather  seemed  to  be  in  that  beastly  state  where 
no  abatement  for  smoothing  down  the  sea  could  be  expected. 

FUTILE  ATTEMPTS  TO  COAL  SHIP 

The  Commodore  would  come  on  deck  in  the  morning,  take  a  look 
at  the  sea  and  the  wind,  and  then  signal  the  Texas,  "Can  you  coal  to 
day?"  Much  doubtfulness  would  be  expressed  in  the  answer  of 
Captain  Philip,  "I  will  try."  Then,  eight  chances  to  ten,  when  the 
collier  was  ordered  to  report  alongside  of  the  Texas,  her  captain  would 
answer  back,  "She  has  broken  down;  it  will  be  some  time  before  we 
can  get  alongside  you."  Over  would  go  the  chief  engineer  of  the 
Brooklyn  with  a  disgusted  crew  of  mechanics,  and  in  a  little  while  the 
Merrimac  would  report  that  she  was  ready  to  go  alongside.  Then  we 
would  watch  the  two  ships  grinding  and  crashing  against  each  other  as 
they  attempted  to  transfer  the  coal,  the  collier  using  her  derrick  to  put 
the  coal  upon  the  battleship's  deck. 

STORMY  WEATHER  AHEAD 

All  this  time  the  Commodore  was  inclined  to  be  nervous  over  the 
weather.     The  maps  and  weather  information  furnished  us,  all  indicated 
that  this  was  about  the  period  for  the  beginning  of  the  hurricane  season, 
and  a  couple  of  pilots  from  Cuba,  who  had  been  picked  up  by  the  St. 
Paul,  accentuated  this  idea  and  gave  the  Commodore  to  understand  that 
the  weather,  if  it  did  not  really  get  worse,  would  not  very  much  improve. 
Speaking  of  this  himself,  Commodore  Schley  has  said : 
"Of  course,  I  used  to  be  very  weatherwise,  but  I  am  rather  other 
wise  now,  and  I  cannot  guess  the  weather  as  well  as  I  could.     I  had  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  the  weather  wou!4  not  be  pretty  much  of  th§ 


138  COALING 

same  character,  as  it  was  near  the  hurricane  season,  and  the  trade 
winds  blew  along  that  coast  almost  continuously,  and,  while  it  was  pos 
sible  off  Santiago  to  coal  in  the  morning,  it  was  frequently  not  possible 
in  the  afternoon  when  the  breezes  freshened  up." 

A  LOST  OPPORTUNITY 

Perhaps  the  entire  difficulty  over  this  coaling  business  might  have 
been  obviated  had  Captain  Sigsbee,  of  the  St.  Paul,  have  known  that  we 
were  approaching  Santiago.  For,  just  as  ill-luck  would  have  it,  only 
twelve  hours  before  we  arrived,  he  had  disposed  of  a  splendid  collier 
which  he  had  captured,  a  collier  which  had  all  the  modern  facilities  for 
coaling  warships.  He  had  sent  it  over  as  a  prize  to  Key  West. 
Captain  Sigsbee's  own  description  of  the  capture  of  this  collier  and  its 
disposition  are  here  given : 

CAPTURE  COLLIER  WITH  COAL  FOR  SPANISH  FLEET 

"On  the  morning  of  the  25th  I  gave  chase  to  a  steamer  standing 
in  at  a  good  rate  of  speed  for  Santiago  harbor,  and  managed  to  intercept 
her  just  out  of  -gunshot  of  the  entrance,  about  six  a.  m.  The  sea  being 
somewhat  rough,  we  boarded  her  with  some  difficulty,  and  directed  her 
to  steam  out  to  the  offing.  She  proved  to  be  the  British  steamer 
Restormel,  from  -Cardiff,  Wales,  with  coal,  evidently  for  the  Spanish 
fleet.  She  had  been  at  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico,  thence  to  Curacao,  where 
she  was  informed  that  the  Spanish  fleet  had  left  two  days  before  her 
arrival.  She  was  then  directed  to  proceed  to  Santiago  de  Cuba.  Her 
captain  stated  frankly  that  he  expected  to  be  captured.  Both  her 
captain  and  crew  exhibited  great  good-nature  on  being  captured,  and 
seemed  rather  pleased  at  the  result.  I  sent  her  to  Key  West,  via 
Yucatan  Channel,  with  an  ample  prize  crew  in  charge  of  Acting- 
Lieutenant  J.  A.  Pattson,  U.  S.  N.,  of  the  St.  Paul.  The  Restormel 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"  The  flag  was  almost  shot  away' 
(xxiii) 


COALING  141 

had  on  board  2,400  tons  of  coal,  and  seemed  to  be  an  excellent  vessel. 
Her  master  said  that  at  Porto  Rico  he  had  left  two  other  colliers,  which 
he  stated  in  conversation  he  hoped  would  be  captured  also.  I  under 
stood  that  these  three  colliers  were  from  the  same  company  and  under 
similar  instructions." 

SCHLEY  INFORMS  THE  DEPARTMENT 

It  is  very  possible  that  had  this  steamer  been  kept,  a  great  amount 
of  the  difficulty  connected  with  our  coaling  operations  would  have  dis 
appeared,  and  we  should  have  been  able  to  remain  off  the  harbor  of 
Santiago  at  least  until  some  definite  orders  were  received  from  the  Navy 
Department. 

As  it  was,  we  made  several  attempts  that  day  to  coal,  but  all  to  no 
avail.  And,  finally,  the  collier  broke  down  altogether,  and  at  six  o'clock, 
after  hearing  the  reports  of  the  officers  and  scouts  that  the  Spanish  fleet 
was  not  at  Santiago,  Commodore  Schley  sent  a  dispatch  to  the  Depart 
ment  detailing  the  condition  of  weather  and  the  difficulties  of  coaling 
unless  there  was  abatement. 

NAVAL  OFFICERS  REPORT  CERVERA  NOT  IN  SANTIAGO 

I  am  not  intending  to  convey  the  impression  here  that  the  move 
ment  to  the  westward  away  from  Santiago  was  altogether  because  of  the 
failure  of  the  ships  to  coal ;  for,  although  the  Eagle  and  the  Minneapo 
lis  were  compelled  to  leave  us — the  former  having  but  twenty-five  tons 
of  coal  aboard,  and  the  latter,  as  her  captain  reported,  with  but  just 
enough  to  get  to  Key  West — it  is  perfectly  possible  that  we  could  have 
remained  off  Santiago  for  two  or  three  days.  But,  as  will  be  shown 
in  another  chapter,  in  addition  to  this  lack  of  facilities  for  coaling, 
Commodore  Schley  had  received  the  most  definite  assurances  from 
American  naval  officers  sent  there  by  the  Navy  Department  for  th§ 


142  COALING 

specific   purpose   of   ascertaining  the    whereabouts    of    the    Spanish 
squadron,  that  Cervera's  fleet  was  not  in  Santiago  harbor. 

THE  HARVARD  BRINGS  DISPATCHES 

Just  after  the  Merrimac  finally  broke  down,  Commodore  Schley 
signaled  to  the  Yale  to  send  a  line  to  the  collier  and  take  her  in  tow. 
Three  times  she  sent  lines  to  her,  through  the  night  of  the  26th  and  the 
morning  of  the  27th,  attempting  to  make  her  fast.  Finally,  a  steel  haw 
ser  managed  to  hold,  and  the  column  started  to  the  westward. 

We  proceeded  quite  slowly  on  that  day,  the  Harvard  joining  us, 
and  bringing  us  dispatches.  She  had  no  more  than  arrived,  reporting 
that  she  had  not  seen  the  Spanish  squadron,  when  Captain  Cotton  also 
pleaded  shortness  of  coal,  and  asked  permission  to  go  to  Kingston, 
Jamaica,  to  procure  it.  He  left  us  at  noon,  but  not  before  he  had  told 
us  the  interesting  story  of  his  getting  the  Harvard  out  of  the  harbor  of 
St.  Pierre,  Martinique,  while  the  enemy's  torpedo  boat  was  laying  in 
wait  to  destroy  him. 

WAR  SHIPS  COAL  AT  SEA 

At  noon  on  the  27th  we  were  about  forty  miles  west  of  Santiago, 
out  during  the  afternoon  it  appeared  as  though  the  sea  was  calming 
down  considerably,  and  at  7:15  that  night,  Commodore  Schley  decided 
that  it  had  abated  sufficiently  so  that  if  the  Merrimac  could  be  put  in 
any  kind  of  repair,  the  Texas,  the  Marblehead,  and  the  Vixen  might  be 
able  to  coal. 

The  full  engineer  force  of  the  Brooklyn  was  sent  aboard  the  Mer 
rimac,  with  instructions  to  use  every  energy  to  repair  her,  and  about  an 
hour  and  a  half  later,  they  reported  they  believed  she  could  proceed 
under  her  own  steam.  She  was  accordingly  run  alongside  of  the  Texas, 
and  all  night  long,  with  as  little  light  used  as  possible,  the  busy  men 


COALING  143 

hoisted  coal  up  from  the  collier  into  the  bunkers  of  the  warship.  Toward 
midnight,  the  sea  had  abated  so  very  much  that  the  Marblehead  was 
ordered  along  the  other  side  of  the  collier,  and  so,  in  between  two  heavy 
fighting  ships,  she  worked  for  the  rest  of  that  night. 

During  the  next  morning,  the  morning  of  the  28th,  the  Vixen  coaled 
from  the  collier,  and  the  engineer  force  of  the  Brooklyn  reporting  that 
they  had  put  the  engines  of  the  Merrimac  in  good  working  order,  we 
turned  about  to  the  east,  and  at  1:15  o'clock  started  again  for  Santiago. 

All  the  vessels  were  now  coaled  sufficiently  for  them  to  remain  in 
the  vicinity  of  Santiago  until  such  time  as  the  government  or  the  scouts 
could  give  some  definite  information  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  Span 
ish  fleet. 

FORMATION  OF  SQUADRON  WAS  FAN  SHAPED 

The  formation  of  the  squadron  going  toward  Santiago  was  in  fan 
shape,  with  the  Brooklyn  in  the  center;  the  Vixen  and  the  Merrimac  on 
one  flank,  and  the  Marblehead  and  the  Yale  on  the  other.  This  method 
of  procedure,  according  to  Commodore  Schley,  was  because  of  his  idea 
that  the  Spanish  squadron  was  still  at  sea  and  that  to  spread  his  fleet 
out  in  that  way  would  be  to  get  a  greater  view,  so  that  if  the  Spanish 
approached  either  from  the  east  or  from  the  west,  they  could  be  readily 

seen. 

ARRIVED  OFF  SANTIAGO 

We  arrived  off  Santiago  at  7:40  p.  m.,  and  the  small  vessels  which 
we  had — the  Marblehead  and  the  Vixen— were  placed  inside  as  pickets, 
while  we  steamed  backward  and  forward  across  the  entrance  of  the 
harbor. 

Commodore  Schley's  own  report  of  the  movement  eastward  away 
from  Santiago  is  so  extremely  lucid  that  I  append  it  here: 

"After  the  Merrimac  had  broken  down  the  movement  was  not  made 
to  the  westward  until  toward  nine  o'clock,  the  Yale  having  had  consid- 


144  COALING 

erable  difficulty  in  getting  a  hawser  to  the  Merrimac.  That  hawser 
parted  or  slipped,  I  do. not  remember  just  which,  about  eleven  o'clock 
that  night,  when  I  was  signaled  by  Captain  Wise,  of  the  Yale,  that  it  would 
take  some  four  hours  to  break  out  a  steel  hawser.  The  collier  at  that 
time  was  absolutely  unmanageable.  She  was  not  capable  of  turning  a 
propeller,  and  the  ships  steamed  for  a  couple  of  hours  the  first  part  of  the 
night  and  drifted  the  balance  of  the  night  in  the  attempt  to  secure  this 
vessel.  I  do  not  remember  that  we  got  under  way  again  until  toward  four 
o'clock  of  the  afternoon  of  the  27th.  Not  long  afterward  the  Merrimac 
was  taken  in  tow,  steaming  to  the  westward,  and  we  went  a  little  bit  farther 
than  I  had  intended  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  getting  the  Yale  to 
read  our  Ardois  signals.  We  were  obliged  to  go  four  or  five  miles  far 
ther  on  that  account  to  catch  her. 

THE  HOT  WEATHER  EXHAUSTS  THE  MEN 

"As  soon  as  the  sea  calmed  down — and  in  my  judgment  it  was  not 
possible  to  have  coaled  before — I  signaled  to  Captain  Philip  asking  him 
if  he  could  coal.  I  think  his  signal  indicates  precisely  that  he  was 
uncertain  about  it,  for  he  signaled  back  to  me,  'I  can  try.'  The  impres 
sion  left  upon  my  mind  at  that  time  was  that  he  was  uncertain,  and  that 
there  was  some  doubt  is  evidenced  further  by  the  fact  that  the  following 
morning,  I  think,  he  signaled  me  that  both  himself  and  the  Merrimac 
had  sprung  a  leak  due  to  the  motion  of  the  ship  and  to  the  fender  which 
had  been  placed  a  little  abaft  her  armor  belt. 

"The  weather  was  very  exceedingly  hot — so  hot  that  Captain 
Philip's  men  were  exhausted  in  the  operation  of  that  day's  coaling — and 
my  impression  now  is  that  a  signal  was  made  to  me  in  the  morning, 
either  by  the  doctor  or  at  the  suggestion  of  the  doctor,  stating  that  he 
would  recommend  that  we  let  up  on  coaling  on  account  of  the  exhausted 
condition  of  the  crew. 


. 

e 


COALING  147 

"The  Marblehead,  the  Texas,  and  the  Vixen  all  took  more  or  less 
coal  from  this  collier  on  that  occasion. 

CONCLUDES  TO  GO  TO  SANTIAGO 

"Toward  two  o'clock  on  that  afternoon,  the  coaling  or  steaming 
radius  of  the  squadron  being  more  nearly  equalized,  I  felt  that,  in  view 
of  the  suggestion  of  the  Secretary  (I  did  not  really  regard  it  as  an  order) 
that  there  might  be  truth  in  the  report,  it  would  only  take  a  very  little 
while  to  get  back,  as  we  were  not  very  far  away,  and  that  then  a 
thorough  examination  could  be  made;  and  if  the  squadron  were  found 
not  to  have  been  there,  I  felt  that  the  military  outlook  would  have  been 
not  to  have  gone  east,  but  to  have  gone  west — to  have  thrown  myself 
nearer  to  Havana  and  to  Key  West,  which  was  the  base. 

"We  arrived  in  front  of  the  harbor  of  Santiago  about  six  o'clock,  if 
my  memory  serves  me;  and  I  think  there  is  a  record  in  the  log  of  the 
ship  which  shows  that  at  that  time  Morro  Castle  was  bearing  north  by 
east  and  distant  about  seven  miles.  I  continued  on  until  about  seven 
or  a  little  after,  and  took  up  a  position  which  I  estimated  from  the  appear 
ance  of  the  land  and  the  surf  to  have  been  about  five  or  six  miles  off 
shore,  and  there  the  squadron  was  held  in  formation  during  the  night. 
The  Marblehead  was  instructed  to  take  her  position  inside,  near  enough 
to  be  able  to  guard  the  entrance,  and  to  let  us  know  if  the  enemy 

appeared. 

ACCIDENT  TO  THE  VIXEN 

"On  the  way  over  the  Vixen  blew  out  one  of  the  gaskets  of  a  man 
hole  plate.  She  hauled  fires  upon  that  boiler  and'  repaired  temporarily, 
but  it  blew  out  again.  I  was  therefore  obliged  to  send  the  boilermaker, 
or  at  least  direct  Captain  Cook  to  send  the  boilermaker,  on  board.  He 
worked  all  night  and  succeeded  in  completing  the  repairs  by  the  next 
day,  so  that  that  night,  the  night  of  the  28th,  she  was  not  in  on  the 


148  COALING 

picket  line  at  all,  but  remained  near  the  flagship,  on  account  of  the  facil 
ity  that  that  gave  for  proceeding  with  the  work  and  obtaining  spare  parts 
that  were  needed  from  time  to  time  in  the  repairs." 


CHAPTER  VIII 
A  WILL-O'-THE-WISP 

IT  WAS  the  night  of  the  28th  of  May,  and  four  or  five  miles  out  from 
Santiago  harbor  swung  the  squadron  of  Commodore  Schley.  It 
was  not  a  particularly  favorable  squadron  for  blockading  purposes.  The 
fastest  ship  in  the  line  was  the  Brooklyn,  and  there  were  three  good 
battleships,  the  Massachusetts,  the  Iowa,  and  the  Texas.  All  of  the 
scouts  had  left  us,  although  we  could  see  the  St.  Paul's  searchlight 
over  on  the  horizon  line  and  knew  that  she  was  lingering  about.  We 
were  sadly  deficient  in  picket  vessels,  the  Vixen  being  the  only  small 
boat  with  us,  although  we  utilized  the  Marblehead  and  placed  the  two 
inside  of  our  main  line  to  give  us  notice  of  any  movement  in  the  harbor. 

GUARD  THE  HARBOR  ENTRANCE  CAREFULLY 

Just  exactly  why  he  guarded  so  carefully  this  harbor  entrance, 
Commodore  Schley  did  not  know,  except  that  the  Navy  Department 
the  last  two  days  at  a  point  2,000  miles  away,  had  continuously  urged 
that  the  fleet  must  be  there.  To  the  contrary,  every  iota  of  information 
obtained  from  the  captains  of  the  scouts  that  had  been  sent  to  the 
vicinity. of  Santiago  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  information,  was  to  the 
effect  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  not  in  Santiago  harbor,  or  anywhere 
near  that  port. 

Naturally,  Commodore  Schley  was  slightly  worried  for  fear  that 
while  he  had  been  proceeding  from  Cienfuegos  to  Santiago,  the  fleet 

149 


150  A   WILL-O'-THE-WISP 

had  made  a  detour  in  the  opposite  direction  and  had  gotten  into  the 
former  harbor,  or  had  started  for  Havana. 

CONVINCED  THAT  THE  SPANISH  FLEET  WAS  NOT 
AT  SANTIAGO 

It  was  not  at  all  an  enviable  position  for  this  commander  to  be 
placed  in.  A  careful  review  of  the  information  which  Commodore 
Schley  had  on  the  28th,  and  on  the  26th,  the  day  that  he  made  the 
retrograde  movement,  will  demonstrate  that  at  every  point  he  was  abso 
lutely  well  fortified  in  his  opinion  that  the  fleet  was  not  in  Santiago 
harbor. 

Captain  Sigsbee  reported  on  board  the  flagship,  and  was  received 
on  the  quarter-deck  by  Commodore  Schley.  As  soon  as  he  reached 
the  quarter-deck  by  the  gangway  he  stopped,  and  the  Commodore  said 
to  him,  quite  eagerly,  "Have  you  got  them,  Sigsbee?"  To  which  Cap 
tain  Sigsbee  replied,  "No,  they  are  not  here.  I  have  been  here  for  a 
week,  and  they  are  not  here."  Then  we  walked  back  on  the  quarter 
deck,  out  of  hearing  of  the  officers  who  were  grouped  near  the  gang 
way,  and  Commodore  Schley  again  inquired,  "Are  you  quite  sure  they 
are  not  in  there?"  And  Sigsbee  replied,  "I  have  been  very  close  to  the 
harbor  entrance  two  or  three  times,  and  Captain  Cotton  has  been  in  and 
cut  a  cable,  and  they  are  certainly  not  there." 

CAPTAIN  SIGSBEE  CONFIRMS  REPORT 

Captain  Sigsbee  practically  confirmed  this  conversation  on  May 
the  29th,  in  a  report  to  the  Department,  in  which  he  says,  "Although  I 
have  been  off  Santiago  for  a  week  and  have  been  daily  near  the 
entrance,  yesterday  being  in  between  four  and  a  half  to  five  miles  from 
the  Morro  sketching  in  very  clear  weather,  I  have  never  seen  any  signs 
of  a  Spanish  man-of-war." 

But  the  most  convincing  evidence  of  all  was  the  bringing  aboard 


A   WILL-O'-THE-WISP  153 

the  Brooklyn  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  by  Captain  Sigsbee  of  two 
Cuban  pilots — Louis  M.  Preval  and  Eduardo  Nunez.  Preval  had  been 
clerk  in  the  consul  at  Santiago,  and  Nunez  was  a  regular  coast  pilot  in 
the  employ  of  the  Spanish  navy  at  the  same  city.  Captain  Sigsbee 
told  Commodore  Schley  that  Nunez  had  informed  him  that  vessels  of 
the  class  of  the  Viscaya  could  not  enter  Santiago  harbor,  and  that  he 
had  never  known  a  larger  vessel  than  4,500  tons  to  go  into  that  port. 
He  stated  that  the  difficulty  was  not  one  of  draught,  but  the  great  length 
of  the  Viscaya's  class. 

THE  PILOT  NUNEZ  MAKES  AN  ADMISSION 

Nunez,  who  was  a  little,  thick-set  colored  man,  was  engaged  in 
conversation  by  Commodore  Schley,  and  repeated  what  he  had  said  to 
Captain  Sigsbee.  When  closely  pressed,  he  said  that  perhaps  a  large 
vessel  of  the  class  of  the  Viscaya  might  get  into  the  harbor  if  she  had 
a  tug  at  her  head  and  one  at  her  stern.  But  Captain  Sigsbee  pooh- 
poohed  at  this,  saying  that  the  scouts  had  never  been  long  enough  away 
from  the  harbor  for  four  vessels  to  be  taken  in  that  way. 

After  the  interview  with  Nunez  and  Captain  Sigsbee,  a  careful 
study  of  the  chart  was  made,  and  this  seemed  to  bear  out  the  assertion 
of  the  pilot.  The  channel  was  marked  as  very  narrow,  and  had  many 
short  turns. 

INFORMATION  SENT  TO  THE  ASSOCIATED  PRESS 

I  wrote  all  this  information  in  a  dispatch  addressed  to  the  Asso 
ciated  Press,  and  asked  Captain  Sigsbee,  who  was  to  take  dispatches 
over  to  Mole  St.  Nicolas  for  Commodore  Schley,  if  he  would  take  it 
over  for  me.  He  said  he  would,  and  I  gave  it  to  him,  in  an  unsealed 
condition,  and,  as  a  matter  of  courtesy,  said  to  him  that  1  should  be 
glad  to  have  him  read  it  over  on  his  way  to  the  Mole.  When  he  left 


154  A   WILL-O'-THE-WISP 

the  ship  he  took  it  with  him,  and,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  ascertain,  it  was 
delivered  and  sent. 

Captain  Cotton,  of  the  Harvard,  had  been  off  Santiago  for  six  days 
prior  to  the  28th,  and  has  admitted  in  a  dispatch  to  the  Department 
dated  June  4,  1 898,  that  he  had  no  idea  the  fleet  was  in  Santiago 
harbor  until  informed  of  that  fact  by  Commodore  Henderson,  R.  N.,  of 
H.  M.  S.  Urgent,  and  in  charge  of  Her  Majesty's  squadron  at  Port 
Royal,  Jamaica.  Commodore  Henderson  gave  him  this  information 
on  May  30th,  twenty-four  hours  after  Commodore  Schley  had  finally 
located  the  Spanish  squadron. 

OTHERS  REPORT  SQUADRON  NOT  AT  SANTIAGO 

Captain  Jewell,  of  the  Minneapolis,  who  had  been  with  us  for  part 
of  the  day,  had  reported  that  he  had  seen  no  signs  of  the  Spanish  fleet, 
and  Captain  Wise,  of  the  Yale,  had  joined  in  the  general  opinion  that 
the  fleet  was  not  at  Santiago,  although  he  had  brought  from  the 
Department  a  dispatch  dated  May  20th  notifying  everybody  that  the 
Department  had  received  reports  that  the  fleet  was  in  that  harbor. 

As  in  distinction  to  this  very  formidable  amount  of  evidence  by 
those  at  Santiago  detailed  for  the  special  purpose,  were  the  Navy 
Department's  reports  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  there.  But  in  all  the 
dispatches  which  they  sent  they  never  gave  any  indication  as  to  where 
their  information  was  obtained  from  or  how  reliable  it  was,  and  the 
weight  of  the  first  dispatches  had  been  somewhat  lessened  by  the 
failure  of  Sampson  to  send  Schley  definite  orders  to  proceed  from 
Cienfuegos  to  Santiago. 

It  is  true,  that  on  the  26th,  impressed  perhaps  by  the  constant 
reiteration  of  the  Department  that  the  fleet  was  reported  at  Santiago, 
Sampson  telegraphed  the  Secretary,  "Schley  ought  to  have  arrived  at 
Santiago  on  May  24th."  But  he  did  this  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that 


A    WILL-O'-THE-WISP  155 

he  had  distinctly  told  Schley  not  to  move  from  Cienfuegos  unless  he, 
Schley,  was  positively  convinced  that  Cervera's  fleet  was  not  in 
Cienfuegos. 

SAMPSON'S  INDECISION  CLEARLY  SHOWN 

In  this  same  telegram  Sampson  again  shows  his  indecision,  despite 
the  Department's  views  on  the  matter,  because  he  says,  under  date  of 
May  26th,  "As  the  Spanish  squadron  may  have  evaded  Santiago  and 
attempted  to  reach  Havana  by  Cape  San  Antonio,  I  have  moved  west 
ward  to  provide  against  this  contingency.  I  will  attempt  to  cover  Havana 
from  both  directions."  This  was  forty-eight  hours  after  Schley  had  left 
Cienfuegos  and  was  well  on  his  way  to  Santiago;  and  this  movement, 
undoubtedly  being  communicated  from  Cienfuegos  to  Santiago,  probably 
kept  the  Spanish  fleet  from  moving  out,  if  they  had  had  any  intentions 
in  that  direction. 

SAMPSON  RECEIVES  SECRET  INFORMATION 

And  what  is  more  astonishing  about  this  attitude  of  Admiral  Samp 
son  is  the  fact  that,  on  the  20th  of  May,  one  day  after  Commodore 
Schley  left  Key  West,  Sampson  was  given  secret  information  through 
his  flag  lieutenant,  Sidney  A.  Staunton,  who  had  obtained  it  from  Cap 
tain  Allen,  of  the  Signal  Service  force  at  Key  West,  that  on  the  night  of 
the  1 9th,  he,  Allen,  had  received  from  a  private  source  in  Havana  a 
dispatch  stating  that  Cervera  had  entered  the  harbor  of  Santiago  the 
morning  of  the  1 9th  with  his  squadron.  This  information  came  from 
an  employee  in  the  telegraph  office  at  Havana,  who  sent  the  dispatches 
about  six  o'clock,  while  the  other  people  who  daily  worked  with  him 
were  at  dinner.  On  the  evening  of  the  20th,  Lieutenant  Staunton 
returned  to  shore  and  received  from  Captain  Allen  some  other  dispatches 
which  confirmed  this  first  information. 


156  A    WILL-O'-THE-WISP 

In  speaking  of  the  matter,  Lieutenant  Staunton  says:  "Admiral 
Sampson  was  satisfied  that  the  information  was  correct,  and  he  called 
up  the  Hawk  and  sent  her  with  dispatches  to  Commodore  Schley." 
But  these  are  the  dispatches  which  did  not  state  definitely  that  the  fleet 
was  at  Santiago,  and  did  not  order  Commodore  Schley  to  proceed  to 
that  port,  but  left  it  entirely  within  his  judgment,  at  the  same  time  with 
holding  from  him  the  information  upon  which  the  suggestion  of  their 
being  in  Santiago  was  based. 

That  Admiral  Sampson  really  appreciated  the  fact  that  he  had  not 
been  definite  in  his  instructions  to  Commodore  Schley,  is  apparent  from 
the  tone  of  a  dispatch  which  he  sent  to  the  Commodore  from  St. 
Nicholas  channel  on  May  the  27th,  in  which,  for  the  first  time,  he  gave 
the  source  of  his  information  as  follows : 
No.  10.] 

U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  NEW  YORK,  IST  RATE, 

St.  Nicholas  Channel,  May  27,  1898. 

Sir:  Every  report,  and  particularly  daily  confidential  reports, 
received  at  Key  West  from  Havana,  state  Spanish  squadron  has  been 
in  Santiago  de  Cuba  from  the  1 9th  to  the  25th  instant,  inclusive,  the 
25th  being  the  date  of  the  last  report  received. 

You  will  please  proceed  with  all  possible  dispatch  to  Santiago  to 
blockade  that  port.  If,  on  arrival  there,  you  receive  positive  information 
of  the  Spanish  ships  having  left,  you  will  follow  them  in  pursuit. 

Very  respectfully, 

W.  T.  SAMPSON, 
COMMODORE  SCHLEY.  Rear-Admiral,  etc. 

This  communication  was  sent  by  the  Wasp,  and  the  curious  part  of 
it  is  that  it  never  arrived  off  Santiago  and  was  never  delivered  to  Com 
modore  Schley  until  ten  days  after  Admiral  Sampson  himself  had  arrived 
off  that  port. 

That  Captain  Cook  of  the  Brooklyn  was  of  the  same  impression  as 
Commodore  Schley  after  hearing  the  reports  of  the  commanders  of  the 
scouts,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he  made  no  serious  objection  to 


^ 


A   WILL-O'-THE-WISP  159 

leaving  the  vicinity  of  Santiago,  as  did  none  of  the  other  captains  of  the 
fleet. 

COMMODORE  GIVES  REASONS  FOR  RETROGRADE  MOVEMENT 

It  is  perhaps  well  to  give  at  this  juncture  Commodore  Schley's  own 
statement  as  to  his  reasons  for  the  retrograde  movement  and  as  to  the 
information  which  led  him  to  believe  that  the  fleet  of  Cervera  was  not 
at  Santiago. 

He  says:  "Captain  Sigsbee  came  aboard  the  Brooklyn  on  the 
26th,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  stepped  over  the  side,  I  said  to  him,  'Cap 
tain,  have  you  got  the  Dons  here'  or  'in  here?'  He  stated  to  me,  'No, 

they  are  not  in  here.  I  have  been  in  very  close.  I  have '  I  don't 

know  but  that  he  said  he  had  been  in  sketching,  but  he  said,  They  are 
not  here;  they  are  only  reported  here.'  I  said,  'Have  any  of  the  other 
vessels  seen  them — the  Yale  or  the  Minneapolis?'  He  said,  'No;  they 
have  not;  they  have  assured  me  so.' 

THREE  CAPTAINS  REPORTED  SPANISH  FLEET  NOT  AT  SANTIAGO 

"That  was  the  assurance  to  which  I  referred  when  I  spoke  of  the 
statements  of  such  men  as  Wise  and  Jewell  to  Sigsbee.  They  did  not 
communicate  verbally  with  me,  but  I  assumed,  from  the  communication 
with  Captain  Sigsbee,  that  he  was  bearing  to  me  the  assurance  of  all 
of  them. 

"At  the  same  time  Eduardo  Nunez  was  aboard,  and  he  and  I  held  a 
conversation  in  Spanish.  He  was  not  able  to  speak  English,  and  I 
could  speak  Spanish  fairly  well. 

"Among  other  things,  I  said  to  him,  'Nunez,  what  do  you  think  of 
the  report  that  those  people  are  in  here?'  'Well,'  he  said,  'I  don't 
believe  that  they  are  here  at  all,  because  the  channel  way  is  very  nar 
row,  the  buoys  have  all  been  removed,  you  have  to  make  the  turn  very 


160  A   WILL-O'-THE-WISP 

quickly,  and  the  channel  aside  from  that  is  very  tortuous.  If  they  had 
a  tug,  and  on  a  very  favorable  day,  most  favorable,  perfectly  smooth 
weather,  no  sea,  they  might  get  in.' 

"I  asked  him  how  long  he  had  been  a  pilot.  He  said,  I  think,  six 
teen  or  eighteen  years,  and  that  he  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  har 
bor,  and,  as  we  subsequently  found,  this  was  exactly  true.  He  was  a 
very  expert  pilot  and  rendered  us  invaluable  service. 

COMMODORE  ASSUMES  ALL  RESPONSIBILITY  FOR  MOVEMENT 

"After  this  conversation,  Captain  Sigsbee  went  on  board.  My 
habit  of  life,  not  only  in  principal  command  of  a  squadron,  but  also  in 
command  of  a  ship,  was  to  assume  the  responsibility  and  to  venture  the 
censure  of  any  movement  that  might  justify  that,  but  that  I  was  never 
willing  under  any  circumstances  to  be  a  participant  in  glories  that  I 
would  not  divide.  That  was  the  general  principle  upon  which  I  acted 
in  this  matter.  I  did  not  call  any  council  of  war.  The  information 
which  these  people  gave  me  led  me  to  infer  that  my  impression  was 
correct,  that  the  telegraphic  information  was  a  ruse  precisely  similar  to 
that  which  was  telegraphed  from  Cadiz  that  the  squadron  had  returned 
from  the  Cape  de  Verdes.  It  is  precisely  what  I  would  have  done  if  I 
had  been  militarily  managing  their  situation — to  have  attracted  the 
squadrons  in  the  direction  of  either  one  of  these  ports  and  then  gone  in 
behind  them.  That  would  have  been  my  policy  if  I  had  been  control 
ling,  and  if  any  of  us  at  any  time  made  any  mistakes  during  the  cam 
paign  of  Santiago  or  elsewhere,  it  was  in  supposing  that  the  Spaniard 
would  ever  do  right  at  the  right  time.  That  was  probably  the  only 
reason  why  we  made  any  mistakes,  if  we  did. 

A  MOVE  TO  THE  WESTWARD  DEEMED  WISE 

"I  determined  then,  that  being  the  case,  that  a  move  eastward 
would  be  unwise,  in  that  I  knew  that  Admiral  Sampson  would  have 


A    WILL-O'-THE-WISP  161 

moved  to  the  eastward  of  Havana.  It  would  not  have  been  wise  for  me 
to  have  uncovered  Santiago,  therefore.  The  military  importance  of  that 
movement  would  have  been  to  have  guarded  the  westward,  as  that 
would  have  been  the  only  place  that  they  could  have  gotten  in  behind. 

MERRIMAC  BREAKS  DOWN  AGAIN 

"Now,  just  at  that  time,  as  we  approached  on  this  evening  of  the 
26th  the  harbor  of  Santiago,  the  collier  Merrimac,  which  had  been  giv 
ing  us  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  broke  down.  The  signal,  I  think,  was  that 
her  intermediate  valve  stem  was  bent  and  stuffing  box  broken.  I  con 
cluded,  therefore,  that  an  unmanageable  collier  was  not  a  very  com 
fortable  thing  to  have  with  the  squadron  if  we  met  the  enemy,  so  I  first 
determined  to  send  her  to  Key  West  with  the  Yale,  but  it  then  occurred 
to  me  that  if  we  did  send  her  to  Key  West  with  the  Yale  and  she  were 
overtaken,  that  we  would  probably  be  out  a  collier,  and  the  Spanish 
forces,  if  they  were  outside,  would  be  in  so  much  coal.  So  I  deter 
mined,  therefore,  that  this  movement  to  the  westward  would  be  wise. 
After  the  collier  broke  down  she  signaled  to  me  that  it  would  take  from 
three  to  four  hours  to  repair  her,  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  took  actually 
twenty-four  hours,  and  for  twelve  hours  her  engines  could  not  be  moved 
or  turned  over,  and  she  was  entirely  unmanageable.  All  this  time  I  was 
closely  watching  the  weather,  hoping  and  praying  for  some  kind  of 
abatement.  And,  on  the  night  of  the  27th,  it  had  abated  sufficiently  to 
allow  us  to  coal,  and  we  went  back  to  the  vicinity  of  Santiago  harbor." 

The  blockade  on  the  night  of  the  28th  was  conducted  very  quietly. 
A  strict  watch  was  kept,  of  course,  with  all  of  our  lights  masked,  and 
the  Ardois  signals  constantly  ready  so  as  to  inform  the  vessels  of  our 
fleet  if  any  suspicious  movements  were  noted  in  the  harbor. 

During  the  night  we  noticed  some  signals  in  the  harbor  which 
appeared  to  us  to  be  worked  by  electricity.  There  would  be  flashlights 


162  A    WILL-O'-THE-WISP 

from  the  top  of  the  hills  surrounding  the  harbor,  to  which  the  Morro 
would  answer,  and  there  were  evident  flashes  from  some  low  point 
down  in  the  harbor  which  we  could  not  construe  in  any  way  unless 
they  came  from  warships.  As  a  partial  explanation  of  that,  we  had  the 
information  that  the  Reina  Mercedes,  a  second-class  battleship  which 
had  cruised  off  the  southern  coast  of  Cuba  for  years,  was  disabled  and 
lying  in  this  harbor.  Another  explanation  of  the  signals  was  that  the 
Spanish  fleet  was  at  sea,  and  that  these  signals  were  kept  working  so 
as  to  warn  them  away  from  Santiago,  if  they  were  approaching  it  at 
that  time.  And  so  the  night  passed,  and  the  morning  sun  on  the  29th 
showed  us  Cuba,  green  with  verdure,  the  white  surf  breaking  along  the 
coral  reefs,  and  the  picturesque  old  Morro,  in  its  coat  of  dirty  yellow 
plaster,  standing  grim  guard  over  the  entrance  to  Santiago  harbor  on 
one  side,  while  a  new  earthwork  guarded  the  opening  from  the  western 
hill. 


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CHAPTER  IX 
FINDING  THE  FLEET 

THIS  Sunday  morning,  the  29th  of  May,  was  a  beautiful  day,  and 
every  one  of  us  was  out  on  deck  early.  I  remember  sticking 
my  head  up  through  the  hatchway  about  six  o'clock,  and  starting  a 
constitutional  parade,  on  the  quarter-deck  before  breakfast,  together 
with  Flag-Lieutenant  Sears  and  Flag-Secretary  Wells.  But  a  minute 
or  two  later,  Commodore  Schley  came  up  the  companionway  leading 
from  his  quarters  and  gave  us  a  cheery  "Good-morning."  He  went 
immediately  up  to  the  after-bridge,  and  we  followed  him,  taking  our 
glasses  with  us.  We  were  about  six  miles  from  the  entrance  to 
Santiago,  and  just  inside  of  us,  probably  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  was 
the  jaunty  little  Marblehead.  We  scanned  the  harbor  very  intently, 
but  the  slight  haze  of  early  morning,  which  in  Cuba  predicts  the 
approach  of  the  rainy  season,  made  objects  rather  indistinct. 

A  SPANISH  BOAT  IN  THE  BAY 

At  6:30  Commodore  Schley  said  to  Lieutenant  Sears,  "Sears,  I 
think  we'll  run  in  a  little  closer  and  see  what  we  can  develop  in  that 
entrance."  A  messenger  took  word  to  Captain  Cook,  and  Flag-Ensign 
McCauley  raised  the  signal  to  the  fleet  to  follow  the  movements  of  the 
commander-in-chief.  We  had  hardly  moved  in  a  mile  when  Com 
mander  McCalla  signaled  from  the  Marblehead,  "Just  caught  view  of 
Spanish  warship  in  harbor  entrance,"  and  in  an  instant  Ensign  McCauley 

165 


166  FINDING  THE  FLEET 

and  I  were  shinning  up  the  steel  side-ladder  on  the  military  mast  to  the 
crow's  nest,  and  on  the  forward  mast,  climbing  quickly  to  the  same 
position,  was  the  sharpest-eyed  man  among  us,  Quartermaster  McCon- 
nell,  with  his  long  glass.  As  we  moved  on  and  then  stopped  about  five 
miles  from  the  entrance,  we  could  see  the  nose  of  this  black-hulled  ship, 
and  then  the  signal  of  discovery  was  made  to  the  entire  fleet,  when 
there  was,  of  course,  the  utmost  jubilation. 

"WE'VE  GOT  THEM  NOW" 

Schley  turned  to  me  later  when  I  came  down  to  the  bridge :  "We've 
got  them  now,  Graham,  and  they'll  never  go  home."  And  then  turning 
to  Sears,  he  ordered  the  signal  to  be  made  to  form  column  and  follow 
the  flagship  by  the  entrance.  As  we  moved  slowly  by  at  a  distance  of 
about  7,000  yards  and  opened  up  to  our  view  the  hole  between  the  hills 
which  marked  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  we  got  our  first  thoroughly 
good  view  of  what  we  knew  to  be  the  Cristobal  Colon,  a  ship  which 
the  Spanish  had  purchased  from  the  Italian  government,  and  which  was 
easily  distinguishable  because  her  military  mast  was  placed  very 
curiously  between  her  two  funnels.  At  the  same  time,  close  to  her, 
we  discovered  one  of  the  torpedo  boats.  There  was  the  most  intense 
excitement  now,  and  every  officer  on  board  at  the  time,  who  could 
climb  to  an  elevated  position,  was  busy  with  a  pair  of  binoculars  trying 
to  locate  Spanish  vessels. 

THE  MASTS  OF  ANOTHER  WAR  VESSEL  SEEN 

As  we  opened  up  the  eastern  channel,  which  runs  around  the  little 
island  in  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  we  could  just  see  the  nose  and  the 
military  top  of  another  war  vessel,  the  height  of  whose  masts  and  their 
construction  indicating  that  it  was  either  the  Viscaya,  the  Oquendo,  or 
the  Teresa,  all  of  which  were  practically  the  same  type  of  ship. 


FINDING  THE  FLEET  167 

Just  over  the  lower  part  of  Cay  Smith  we  thought  we  saw  the  upper 
masts  of  another  war  vessel,  but  the  density  of  the  foliage  made  us 
unable  to  be  absolutely  definite  about  this,  as  only  her  extreme  tops  were 
visible,  and  they  might  have  belonged  to  a  merchantman.  As  it  was, 
however,  everybody  aboard  believed  that  we  had  the  entire  squadron 
there,  for,  as  Commodore  Schley  said,  "It  is  not  conceivable  that  with 
a  homogeneous  fleet  of  that  character  the  commander-in-chief  would 
detach  any  single  one  for  operations,  especially  in  waters  where  it  would 
easily  be  met  and  overcome."  And  yet,  such  was  the  case,  for  the 
torpedo  boat  Terror  had  been  detached  and  had  sought  refuge  in  San 
Juan,  Porto  Rico,  from  which  harbor  Captain  Sigsbee  decoyed  her  one 
day  and  then  shot  her  to  pieces. 

THE  FLEET  DEFINITELY  LOCATED 

Until  eight  o'clock  we  moved  slowly  by  the  harbor,  noting  the  exact 
location  of  these  vessels,  and  at  8:05  o'clock  signal  was  made  to  the 
fleet  to  go  to  breakfast.  At  8:30  the  movements  of  the  fleet  in  front  of 
the  harbor  were  stopped,  and  blockading  stations  were  taken,  similar 
to  those  we  had  occupied  during  the  night.  A  few  minutes  afterward 
the  St.  Paul  came  in  sight,  and  as  Captain  Sigsbee  approached  us  he 
flew  the  signal,  "Can  see  a  strange  vessel  in  the  harbor."  He  was 
immediately  notified  that  we  had  already  found  the  Spaniards,  and  he 
was  ordered  to  come  aboard  the  flagship. 

CAPTAIN  SIGSBEE  SURPRISED 

When  Captain  Sigsbee  came  aboard,  he  expressed  to  both  Com 
modore  Schley  and  Captain  Cook  the  greatest  surprise  that  they  could 
possibly  be  there,  and  he  said,  "I  have  never  before  seen  any  sign  of 
them,  although  I  have  been  in  all  sorts  of  positions  outside  of  this 
harbor." 


168  FINDING  THE  FLEET 

It  is  worth  relating  just  at  this  juncture  that  the  Colon  had  been 
anchored  at  this  point  since  the  25th  of  May;  in  other  words,  that  on 
May  25,  26,  27,  and  28,  while  the  St.  Paul  was  guarding  the  harbor 
entrance,  at  times  in  company  with  the  Minneapolis  and  the  Yale,  this 
ship  had  been  in  exactly  the  same  position  as  that  which  she  occupied 
on  the  morning  of  May  29th,  when  Commander  McCalla,  with  Com 
modore  Schley's  squadron,  first  discovered  her. 

THE  LOG  BOOK  OF  THE  COLON 

After  the  destruction  of  Cervera's  fleet,  and  while  returning  on 
board  the  Vixen  with  some  of  the  officers  of  the  Colon,  I  discovered 
that  they  were  in  possession  of  their  own  log  book.  I  told  Captain 
Sharpe  of  the  Vixen  of  what  I  had  learned  and  asked  if  it  could  be 
delivered  up  to  me  to  take  aboard  the  Brooklyn.  The  officers  pleaded 
very  hard  to  keep  the  log,  as  it  was  their  only  method  of  presenting  to 
their  own  government  the  details  of  their  cruise,  but  when  I  went  aboard 
the  Brooklyn  from  the  Vixen  that  night,  I  carried  the  coveted  books  with 
me.  It  dawned  upon  me  that  they  would  make  excellent  souvenirs  of 
the  Spanish  fight,  but  it  dawned  upon  the  Commodore  at  the  same  time, 
evidently,  that  they  belonged  to  the  United  States  government,  and  I  was 
reluctantly  forced  to  give  them  up. 

INTERESTING  DATA  REGARDING  THE  SPANISH  FLEET 

From  the  pages  of  them,  however,  we  took  the  extracts  which  led 
to  the  development  that  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  May,  at  just 
exactly  the  same  time  that  the  Flying  Squadron  was  steaming  out  of 
Key  West,  eight  o'clock,  the  much-sought-after  fleet  of  Spain  was  enter 
ing  the  harbor  of  Santiago.  They  were  given  a  hearty  welcome  there, 
and  were  assigned  to  anchorages  in  the  harbor.  On  May  the  25th, 
notification  was  received  that  the  Flying  Squadron  had  left  the  vicinity 


FINDING  THE  FLEET  171 

of  Cienfuegos,  and  Admiral  Cervera  ordered  the  ships  moved  around 
and  so  disposed  as  to  cover  the  narrow  entrance  to  Santiago  with  flank 
ing  fires,  so  that  the  American  ships  could  not  force  an  entrance.  The 
Colon  shifted  anchorage  to  Ensenada  de  Caspar,  which  is  just  inside 
the  mouth,  and  just  where  we  found  her  on  Sunday  morning,  May  29th. 

SPANISH  SIGHT  OUR  BOATS 

On  May  the  27th  our  fleet  was  seen  by  the  lookout  at  the  watch 
tower  on  Morro,  and  we  were  developed  by  them  as  having  ten  warships 
and  nine  torpedo  boats.  At  5:30  in  the  afternoon,  when  we  began  our 
slight  movement  to  the  west,  the  signal  was  made  that  we  had  disap 
peared.  But  this  was  evidently  looked  upon  as  a  ruse,  because,  according 
to  the  log,  on  the  28th  Admiral  Cervera  sent  an  officer  to  the  Morro  to 
watch  and  report  the  position  of  the  enemy's  ships,  and  to  announce 
their  movements. 

On  the  29th  the  log  contained  the  information  that  we  were  again 
in  sight,  and  steaming  toward  the  harbor  from  the  eastward.  They 
recognized  the  Brooklyn,  the  Iowa,  the  Minneapolis,  the  Texas,  and  the 
Indiana  as  being  part  of  our  squadron — the  Marblehead  being  evidently 
mistaken  for  the  Minneapolis,  and  the  Massachusetts  for  the  Indiana, 
the  latter  not  being  such  a  bad  guess  as  she,  the  Massachusetts,  and 
the  Oregon  are  of  the  same  type. 

The  log  for  that  day  announced  also  that  they  prepared  their  bat 
teries,  loading  with  solid  steel  shell,  and  also  placed  a  buoy  in  the  center 
of  the  entrance  where  a  ship  would  have  to  pass  in  coming  in,  and  then 
fired  at  it  so  as  to  get  the  range  for  their  guns. 

COLON  IN  PLAIN  SIGHT  OF  THE  SCOUTS 

The  evidence  that  the  Colon  for  four  days  was  as  much  in  plain 
sight  of  the  scouts  as  she  was  on  May  29th,  when  we  discovered  her,  is 
found  in  these  extracts  from  her  log: 


172  FINDING  THE  FLEET 

May  25th — Shifted  anchorage  in  the  harbor  of  Santiago  de  Cuba  on 
the  morning  of  May  25,  1898;  draft  forward  7.50  m.,  aft  6.45  m.  At 
6,  engines  ready,  and,  with  the  pilot  on  board,  weighed  anchor,  which 
was  soon  catted;  cast  to  port.  Under  direction  of  the  commanding 
officer  passed  between  Ratones  Cay  and  Julias  Point  and  proceeded  in 
the  channel  to  a  point  to  the  northward  of  Smith  Cay  and  at  mouth  of 
Caspar  Bay,  where  we  anchored  at  7  a.  m.  in  20  m.  of  water  with  the 
port  anchor ;  mud  bottom.  At  this  time  the  vessels  of  the  enemy  were 
discovered  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbor;  Morro  made  signal  to  begin 
firing ;  orders  were  given  to  man  the  main  battery,  but  in  a  short  time  it 
was  seen  that  it  would  be  obstructed,  as  an  English  steamer  was  about 
to  enter  the  harbor.  Got  out  stream  cable  from  port  quarter  to  the 
south  beach  of  the  bay  (Caspar),  and  veered  and  hauled  chain  until 
another  was  gotten  from  starboard  to  the  opposite  shore  and  then 
secured  both.  Head  S.  57°  W.,  with  75  fathoms  of  chain  outside  and 
moored  on  the  following  bearings:  Gorda  Point,  N.  19°  W.;  Cuarentina 
Point,  Smith  Cay,  S.  48°  E.;  and  Morro  Point,  S.  5°  E.  8:40  a.  m.  to 
noon  got  out  a  second  mooring  to  starboard  and  made  fast  until  we  had 
secured  the  buoy  on  the  same  quarter,  which  had  been  placed  as  a 
mark.  Got  out  steel  hawser  on  starboard  side,  and  sent  crew  to  break 
fast. 

Lowered  2d  steam  launch  which  took  sailing  launch  in  tow  to  bring 
back  liberty  men  and  provisions  at  3:30  p.  m.  During  4  to  8  watch  the 
small  arms  were  gotten  ready  and  the  rapid-fire  battery  loaded.  At  6 
a.  m.  secured  small  arms,  unloaded  rapid-fire  battery,  and  then  crew 
went  to  breakfast.  8  a.  m.  to  noon  lighter  came  alongside,  which  com 
menced  unloading  at  once.  Squally. 

At  3  p.  m.  hove  in  port  chain  to  30  fathoms,  heaving  in  on  port  stream 
chain  and  veering  on  the  starboard.  Finished  coaling  at  4  to  8  p.  m. 
watch.  8  to  12  p.  m.  semaphore  signaled  2  suspicious  vessels  in  sight. 
Mid.  to  4  a.  m.  steam  launch  returned  towing  water  boat. 

May  26th — 8  a.  m.  to  noon  veered  cables  to  bring  stern  to  the 
beach  in  such  wise  that  the  15.2  cm.  gun  No.  2  would  cover  the  mouth 
of  harbor  with  its  fire.  The  watch  tower  signaled  3  of  the  enemy's 
vessels  in  sight  accompanied  by  torpedo  boats  or  smaller  vessels. 

Noon  to  4  p.  m.  anchored  and  moored  in  Caspar  Bay,  75  fathoms 
on  port  chain,  and  two  moorings  to  port  and  one  to  starboard;  secured  to 
the  beach.  Artillery  (main  battery)  ready  for  action.  Four  coal  lighters 
came  alongside;  commenced  discharging  at  once.  5:30  p.  m.  sema 
phore  signaled:  "The  enemy  has  disappeared."  Coaling  and  taking 
in  water. 


FINDING  THE  FLEET  173 

May  27th  and  28th— Finished  coaling  at  4  p.  m.  Sent  Ensign  La 
Ciera  to  Morro  for  information  regarding  enemy's  vessels  and  the  buoys 
said  to  have  been  planted  by  them ;  he  reported  as  follows  by  sema 
phore:  First,  black  buoy  SW.  ^°  S.;  distance  difficult  to  determine 
but  estimated  4  miles ;  another  buoy  is  being  looked  for.  Second,  the 
enemy  disappears  to  the  SW.  ^°  S.;  no  white  buoy  is  seen.  Third,  7 
vessels  in  sight,  the  Brooklyn  and  Iowa  distinguishable;  2  vessels  are 
approaching  the  buoy.  The  semaphore,  in  its  turn,  announced:  "5 
vessels  in  sight,  with  small  vessels  or  torpedo  boats."  4  to  8  p.  m. 
lighted  a  red  light  and  showed  in  on  starboard  side  in  order  to  indicate 
position  of  our  bow  to  the  rest  of  the  squadron.  At  7:30  a.  m.  com 
menced  firing  at  14,000  ms.,  the  enemy's  squadron  coming  from  the 
eastward  and  steaming  in  column  past  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  There 
were  recognized  the  Brooklyn,  Indiana,  Iowa  (flag),  Minneapolis,  Texas, 
and  a  merchant  vessel.  Manned  all  the  starboard  battery  and  loaded 
with  heavy  ammunition. 

May  29th — Noon  to  4  p.  m.  various  North  American  vessels  in 
sight,  among  which  could  be  distinguished  the  Iowa,  Indiana,  Brooklyn, 
and  Texas  type,  and  some  merchantmen.  4  to  mid.  American  vessels 
continue  to  pass  by  mouth  of  harbor  with  their  searchlights  thrown  on 
the  coast.  At  4  a.  m.  the  2  destroyers  returned,  having  been  cruising 
at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  reporting  enemy's  vessels  from  W.  to 
SE.  from  point,  i.  e.,  Brooklyn,  Texas,  Indiana,  Iowa,  a  yacht,  and  mer 
chantmen.  The  ensign  of  the  Pluton,  on  passing  this  vessel  on  way 
to  the  flagship,  reported  having  been  within  about  4  miles  of  the 
enemy's  vessels.  At  1 1  sent  an  officer  and  2  quartermasters  to  sema 
phore  on  duty;  they  reported:  "Enemy's  squadron  in  sight,"  by 
semaphore,  and  by  flag  signals  announced  the  arrival  of  a  man-of-war 
with  two  masts,  with  three  military  tops  on  each,  and  two  smokestacks. 

So  on  this  pleasant  Sunday  morning,  the  29th  of  May,  we  had 
discovered  that  which  all  the  fast  scouts,  equipped  with  excellent  com 
manding  officers,  had  failed  in — although  they  had  had  four  days'  oppor 
tunity — the  Spanish  squadron. 

SENDS  WORD  TO  NAVY  DEPARTMENT 

Commodore  Schley  told  Captain  Sigsbee  to  hold  himself  in  readi 
ness  to  immediately  take  a  telegram  to  Mole  St.  Nicolas,  notifying  the 
Navy  Department  of  the  presence  of  the  Spanish  fleet  in  Santiago,  and 


1?4  'FINDING  THE  FLEET 

also  to  communicate  with  Admiral  Sampson,  who  was  supposed  to  be  in 
the  Windward  passage.  This  telegram  was  written  about  nine  o'clock, 
and  at  half-past  nine  the  St.  Paul  left  with  them.  It  was  a  purely  dis 
passionate,  plain  statement  of  facts,  so  much  so  that  the  Commodore 
even  refrained  from  mentioning  that  the  third  ship,  which  we  had  not 
been  able  to  identify,  was  positively  another  one  of  them.  The  dis 
patch  was  as  follows : 

Enemy  in  port.  Recognized  Cristobal  Colon  and  Infanta  Maria 
Teresa  and  two  torpedo  boats  moored  inside  Morro,  behind  point. 
Doubtless  the  others  are  here.  We  are  short  of  coal;  using  every  effort 
to  get  coal  in.  Vixen  blew  out  manhole  gasket;  have  sent  boilermaker 
on  board  to  repair.  Collier's  repaired  machinery  being  put  together. 
Have  about  3,000  tons  of  coal  in  collier — but  not  easy  to  get  on  board 
here.  If  no  engagement  in  next  two  or  three  days,  Sampson's  squadron 
could  relieve  this  one  to  coal  at  Gonaives  or  vicinity  of  Port  au  Prince. 
Hasten  me  dispatch  boats  for  picket  work.  Brooklyn,  Iowa,  Massachu 
setts,  Texas,  Marblehead,  Vixen,  and  colliers  compose  squadron  here. 
(Following  additional  sentence  to  Department.)  Am  sending  St.  Paul 
to  communicate  with  Sampson. 

At  shortly  after  nine  the  signal  was  raised  for  all  commanding 
officers  of  vessels  to  appear  upon  the  flagship,  and  within  twenty  minutes 
there  was  gathered  in  the  cabin  of  the  Brooklyn  a  famous  coterie  of 
naval  officers.  There  were  Commodore  Schley,  and  Captain  Francis 
A.  Cook,  of  the  Brooklyn;  Captain  Robley  D.  Evans,  of  the  Iowa;  Captain 
Francis  A.  Higginson,  of  the  Massachusetts;  Captain  John  Philip,  of  the 
Texas;  Commander  Bowman  McCalla,  of  the  Marblehead,  and  Lieutenant- 
Commander  Alexander  Sharpe,  Jr.,  of  the  Vixen. 

PLAN  OF  BATTLE  OUTLINED 

Commodore  Schley  explained  to  the  commanding  officers  his  plan 
of  battle  if  the  Spanish  fleet  attempted  to  come  out  of  the  harbor,  and 
his  idea  as  to  that  was  very  similar  to  the  plan  afterward  adopted  by 
Admiral  Sampson,  that  is,  to  the  effect  that  it  being  absolutely  necessary 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"There  was  a  hurricane  of  cheers" 
(xxix) 


FINDING  TPIE  FLEET  17? 

for  the  enemy  to  exit  in  single  file,  the  ships  of  the  American  squadron 
should  concentrate  their  fire  for  at  least  a  brief  period,  on  each  ship  as 
she  emerged,  and  thus,  if  possible,  partially  disable  them. 

His  idea  about  this  was  that  a  ship  being  under  such  terrible  fire 
for  even  a  few  moments  would,  even  if  she  escaped  destruction,  be  in 
such  a  condition  as  to  be  easily  handled  by  any  one  of  our  squadron, 
and  that  the  concentration  of  fire  would  also  serve  another  purpose,  that 
of  disarranging  the  enemy's  aim.  This,  the  Commodore  explained,  was 
riot  a  tactical  concentration  of  our  whole  force,  but  a  division  of  our  fire 
which  could  at  any  time  be  ended  by  commanding  officers  of  ships  using 
their  own  discretion  as  to  when  to  break  away  and  attack  another  ship. 

STEAM  DIRECTLY  AT  ENEMY'S  SHIPS 

Captain  Evans  asked  Commodore  Schley  if  it  was  his  intention  to 
remain  immobile  when  the  fleet  came  out,  simply  firing  at  them  as  they 
left  the  entrance,  or  whether  it  was  his  plan  to  steam  directly  at  the 
enemy's  ships.  Commodore  Schley  turned  upon  him  quickly  and 
said,  "Certainly.  What  do  you  think  I'd  do?  We'll  get  just  as  close 
to  that  entrance  as  we  possibly  can,  the  instant  we  see  them  making  a 
move  to  come  out,  and  I  don't  think  they'll  get  very  far." 

The  morning  and  part  of  the  day  of  the  29th  were  spent  in  com 
paring  notes  among  the  ships  as  to  the  height  of  the  different  Spanish 
vessels'  masts  from  the  water  line,  and  other  details,  and  the  Vixen  and 
the  Marblehead,  which  were  smaller  targets  than  the  big  ships  because 
of  their  size,  were  ordered  to  investigate  as  closely  as  possible  and  see 
if  any  more  Spanish  ships  could  be  seen  in  the  harbor.  A  careful 
watch  was  kept,  however,  but  so  far  as  could  be  noted,  the  Spanish 
ships  did  not  have  up  steam,  and  no  attempt  was  apparently  being  made 
to  escape.  At  3:45  in  the  afternoon  the  Brooklyn  signaled  to  the  fleet 
to  go  by  the  harbor  in  column,  and  for  navigating  officers  and  lookouts 


178  FINDING  THE  FLEET 

to  take  particular  note  as  to  the  number  of  ships  and  their  accurate 
position.  The  Vixen  made  a  little  dash  in  shore  toward  the  harbor,  and 
Lieutenant-Commander  Sharpe  reported  that  he  was  positive  that  he 
could  make  out  two  vessels  of  the  Viscaya  class,  besides  the  Cristobal 
Colon,  a  torpedo  boat,  and  what  looked  like  a  merchantman.  But  this 
last  was,  undoubtedly,  the  Reina  Mercedes,  which  lay  just  inside  of  the 
Colon  and  which  was  disabled. 

SHIPS  GO  BY  THE  HARBOR  IN  COLUMN 

At  six  p.  m.  the  ships  took  up  the  column  which  Commodore 
Schley,  because  of  the  smallness  of  his  force,  concluded  would  best  be 
mobile,  with  the  exception  of  the  Marblehead  and  the  Vixen,  which 
v/ere  to  remain  inside  the  column  as  pickets.  The  mobility  of  the 
column  consisted  in  moving  in  an  ellipse,  running  two  or  three  miles 
each  side  of  the  harbor,  one  ship  in  the  ellipse  continually  having  her 
broadside  facing  the  entrance.  The  advantage  of  this  was  that  if  the 
enemy  attempted  to  escape  the  American  ships  would  already  be  in 
motion  with  their  engines  active,  and  that  a  turn  of  the  wheel  would 
bring  the  squadron  in  line  for  the  Dons,  and  still  another  turn  would 
start  them  east  or  west,  accordingly  as  the  enemy  shaped  its  course. 

AN  ENGLISH  SHIP  APPEARS 

It  should  have  been  mentioned  that,  in  the  afternoon  of  this  day, 
the  Massachusetts  had  coaled  from  the  Merrimac  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy  and  under  the  guns  of  the  forts. 

Such  being  the  case,  the  energy  and  watchfulness  of  Commander 
Sharpe,  and  the  readiness  with  which  the  ships  went  to  quarters  and 
opened  fire,  drove  the  destructive  boat  back  into  the  harbor  and  probably 
prevented  a  disaster  to  one  of  our  ships. 

Monday,  May  30th,  efforts  were  made  to  locate  the  entire  Spanish 


FINDING  THE  FLEET  179 

squadron,  and  it  was  decided  that  as  soon  as  the  Vixen  could  coal,  she 
should  take  Nunez,  the  colored  Cuban  pilot  we  had  aboard,  and  land 
him  at  some  point  where  he  could  get  information  from  friendly  sources 
ashore. 

During  the  morning  the  New  Orleans  arrived,  convoying  the  collier 
Stirling,  and  this  new  cruiser,  which  had  just  been  bought  from  Brazil 
and  which  was  a  very  formidable-looking  ship  with  very  long  calibre 
guns,  made  a  fine  addition  to  our  squadron.  All  that  was  needed  now 
to  make  the  fleet  a  perfect  one  was  a  number  of  boats  small  enough  to 
be  used  for  picket  boats  and  a  couple  of  good-sized  torpedo  boats  that 
could  chase  the  enemy's  similar  craft  if  they  came  out. 

A  curious  incident  which  closed  this  day  was  the  appearance  of  the 
H.  M.  S.  Indefatigable,  which  ran  up  to  our  line  and  asked  permission 
to  go  inside  the  harbor  and  take  out  its  consul.  Commodore  Schley 
granted  the  permission,  but  told  them  that  we  had  the  enemy  penned 
up  in  there.  Much  to  our  surprise,  when  the  young  officer  had  returned 
to  his  own  ship,  the  war  vessel  turned  around  and  stood  for  Jamaica, 
flying  a  pennant  which  read,  "No  harm  done  by  your  courtesy."  I  know 
we  were  very  much  puzzled  by  this  signal,  and  finally  construed  it  into 
meaning  that  as  long  as  we  were  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  Spanish 
in  the  harbor  he  would  not  bother  going  in. 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  E.  CLARK 
(xxx) 


CHAPTER  X 
RECONNAISSANCE 

NO,  NO,  my  boy,  you  can't  go.     You're  a  non-combatant;  there's 
no  need  of  your  exposing  yourself  unnecessarily,  and  besides, 
you  can  see  the  whole  thing  just  as  well  from  the  deck  of  the  Brooklyn 
as  out  with  us.     We're  not  going  to  do  any  real  scrapping,  but  I  want  to 
find  out  what  those  fellows  have,  and  we'll  simply  run  in  and  locate 

their  batteries." 

A  BEAUTIFUL   SCENE 

It  was  a  glorious  morning.  The  long,  wavering  sheet  of  gray  mist 
had  risen  reluctantly,  and  the  brilliant  sunshine  changing  its  gray  to 
clouds  of  crimson  and  gold,  had  finally  conquered,  disclosing  high  hills 
of  emerald  verdure,  dotted  with  the  darker  green  of  the  palm  or  tinged 
with  a  ruddy  tone  where  the  scarlet-flowered  creepers  grew  in  greater 
luxuriance,  and  at  their  base  a  long  line  of  gleaming,  silvery  coral  sand, 
outlined  the  more  distinctly  by  the  leaping,  glistening,  white  foam  that 
curled  up  over  the  rocky  shore,  save  in  one  spot,  where  the  line  was 
broken  by  the  narrow  opening  between  the  hills  that  marked  the  entrance 
to  Santiago  harbor.  The  heavy,  rolling  sea  sparkled  greenly  in  the  sun 
light,  whose  rays  were  reflected  from  the  polished  brass  work  and  guns 
of  some  smaller  vessels  tossing  nearer  shore,  and  from  the  huge  ships 
of  war  swinging  so  majestically  on  the  waves. 

THE  COAST  OF  SOUTHERN  CUBA 

This  was  the  scene  off  the  coast  of  southern  Cuba  the  early  morn 
ing  of  May  31,  1898,  and  the  point  which  these  vast  warships  were 

183 


184  RECONNAISSANCE 

so  jealously  guarding  was  that  little  opening  between  the  hills;  the  tiny 
stretch  of  smooth  water,  which  if  followed  would  lead  up  the  bay  to 
where  the  city  of  Santiago  lay  snuggled,  protected  by  the  high  hills,  six 
miles  away  at  the  coast-line.  But  there  were  in  the  city  that  day  anxious 
hearts,  despite  the  fancied  protection  of  the  hill,  for  the  huge,  quaker- 
gray  ships,  floating  in  semi-circle  out  at  sea,  were  an  enemy's  cordon  of 
death,  and  bombardment,  with  all  its  terrible  results,  was  momentarily 
looked  for. 

But  aboard  the  ship,  if  those  who  feared  could  have  seen,  there 
was  no  indication  of  attack.  True,  the  decks  were  stripped  as  if  for 
fighting,  being  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to  battle,  but  about  them  the 
men  were  lounging,  clad  in  dirty  clothes,  waiting  for  the  sea  to  calm 
down  so  that  necessary  coal  could  be  taken  from  the  colliers.  The 
morning  wore  on,  and  the  sea  quieting,  colliers  ranged  alongside,  and 
soon,  under  sight  of  the  walls  of  Morro,  and  almost  within  distance  of 
the  huge  guns  on  the  Spanish  fleet  penned  within  the  harbor,  was 
presented  the  spectacle  of  the  Texas,  the  Brooklyn,  and  the  Marblehead 
busy  replenishing  their  coal  bunkers,  a  decidedly  unaggressive  occupa 
tion. 

THE  COMMODORE  TRANSFERS  HIS  FLAG  TO  THE  MASSACHUSETTS 

But,  from  somewhere  on  the  ship,  I  had  caught  the  rumor  that  a 
bombardment  was  to  be  made,  and  I  waited  about,  anxious  not  to  miss  a 
chance  to  see  it.  When  the  order  came  that  the  Commodore's  flag  was 
to  be  transferred  to  the  Massachusetts  and  that  she  and  some  of  the 
others  were  to  make  the  attack,  I  was  eager  to  be  of  the  party.  Then 
it  was  I  begged  of  the  Commodore  to  take  me  along,  and  he  had  replied, 
"No,  you  can't  go.  We're  not  going  to  do  any  real  scrapping,  but  I 
want  to  find  out  what  those  fellows  have,  and  we'll  simply  run  in  and 
locate  their  batteries." 


RECONNAISSANCE  185 

But  I  was  extremely  persistent,  urging  the  necessity  of  a  close 
observance  for  an  accurate  report,  and  finally  Schley  consented,  and 
jubilantly  I  joined  the  party  which,  together  with  the  Commodore's  flag, 
was  carried  over  to  the  Massachusetts  by  the  little  converted  yacht, 
Vixen,  Captain  Sharpe  commanding.  Among  the  group  were  Commo 
dore  Schley,  Flag-Lieutenant  Sears,  Flag- Secretary  Wells,  Flag-Ensign 
and  Signal-Officer  Edward  McCauley,  and  I.  We  all  wore  our  white 
linen  suits,  for  the  weather  was  extremely  hot,  even  the  Commodore 
wearing  white  with  no  insignia  of  his  rank. 

PERMISSION  GIVEN  TO  BOMBARD 

As  we  climbed  up  the  sides  of  the  Massachusetts  we  were  heartily 
greeted,  and  there  was  some  wonder  as  to  the  cause  of  our  coming. 
Captain  Higginson  and  some  of  his  officers  received  us,  and  we  walked 
back  to  the  quarter-deck. 

Leaning  up  against  one  of  the  big  guns  in  the  turret  Commodore 
Schley  patted  it  with  his  hand  and  said: 

"Higginson,  how  would  you  like  to  fire  a  shot  or  two  at  that  fellow 
in  the  entrance  so  as  to  get  them  to  open  up  their  batteries  on  shore?" 

Captain  Higginson  and  the  officers  near  him  fairly  jumped  with 
delight. 

"Very  much  indeed,"  replied  Captain  Higginson,  expressively,  and 
his  officers  joined  in  the  chorus  of  approval. 

"I'm  sure  I  could  plunk  her  if  we  get  the  range  on  her,"  said  Lieu 
tenant  Glennan,  who  had  charge  of  the  big  pair  of  beauties  in  the 
forward  turret. 

"Well,"  said  Commodore  Schley,  "tell  your  bullies  that  after  they 
have  finished  their  midday  meal  I  will  let  them  have  a  chance." 

The  men  were  told  and  there  was  a  rousing  cheer  that  might  have 
been  heard  ashore. 


186  RECONNAISSANCE 

We  stood  on  the  quarter-deck,  in  the  shade  of  the  av/ning  for  a 
while,  chatting. 

"I  am  told,"  said  Higginson,  "that  the  ^idiana  put  a  shell  from  her 
thirteen-inch  gun  through  a  target  at  2,000  yards,  and  then  went  through 
the  same  hole  with  a  second  shell.  Pretty  good  work  for  one  of  these 
fellows,"  and  the  muscular  little  captain  stroked  the  muzzle  of  one  of 
the  four  thirteen-inch  guns  that  made  up  the  main  battery  of  the  big  ship 
of  the  line. 

Don't  get  out  a  tape  measure  or  a  foot-rule  and  measure  off  thirteen 
inches  and  wonder  to  what  portion  of  the  gun  that  refers,  because  it 
would  avail  you  little;  but  rather  listen  to  the  account  of  the  stupendous- 
ness  of  this  greatest  engine  of  destruction,  of  modern  days.  A  "thirteen- 
inch  breech-loading  rifle,"  as  the  biggest  gun  used  in  the  Navy  is 
technically  described,  is  a  piece  of  metal  weighing  136,000  pounds,  a 
few  inches  over  39  feet  in  length,  and  with  a  powder-space  15.5 
inches  in  diameter  and  80.8  inches  long. 

WHAT  A  THIRTEEN-INCH  GUN  IS 

The  only  reference  to  thirteen  inches  is  in  the  diameter  of  the  steel 
projectile  fired.  This  monstrous  gun  throws  a  projectile  that  weighs 
1,100  pounds,  and  the  amount  of  powder  consumed  for  each  shot 
so  fired  is  520  pounds.  The  explosion  of  this  powder  sends  this 
weight  of  1,100  pounds  of  metal  from  the  muzzle  at  the  speed  of 
2,100  feet  per  second,  and  with  an  energy  of  33,627  tons — enough  to 
send  it  through  twenty-four  inches  of  steel  at  1,000  yards,  and  twenty- 
one  inches  at  a  mile  distant;  and  while  the  mechanism  of  this  gun  is 
complicated,  and  while  every  part  after  every  shot  must  be  cleaned,  so 
complete  is  the  discipline  aboard  that  it  may  be  fired  once  every  three 
minutes. 

After  luncheon,  Commodore  Schley  having  lunched  with  Captain 


J 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  AND  Two  CAPTAINS. 


1.  Rear-Admiral  William  T.  Sampson. 
2.  Rear  Admiral  Robley  D.  Evans.      3.  Captain  John  W.  Philip. 


(xxxi) 


RE  CONN  A ISSA  NCE  189 

Higginson;  Lieutenants  Sears,  Wells,  and  myself  with  the  ward  room 
officers,  and  Ensign  McCauley  with  the  junior  officers,  grouped  around 
the  pilot-house  on  the  upper  bridge.  There  Captain  Higginson  and 
Commodore  Schley  discussed  the  approaching  bombardment,  fixing  the 
distance  at  which  we  should  fire  at  7,000  yards — Commodore  Schley 
basing  his  reasons  for  this  on  the  fact  that  in  several  orders  issued,  the 
Navy  Department  had  deprecated  exposure  of  warships  to  the  fire  of 
unknown  land  batteries,  until  after  the  fleet  of  Cervera  had  been  found 
and  destroyed,  a  policy  perfectly  natural  because  our  Navy  as  assembled 
in  the  West  Indian  waters  was  not  so  large  that  we  could  afford  to 
cripple  the  ships,  and,  as  Secretary  Long  expressed  it  in  his  dispatches, 
there  were  "too  few  dry-docks  at  any  ports  within  our  possessions 
where  ships  could  be  repaired  with  any  facility." 

Captain  Higginson  concurred  with  Commodore  Schley  in  his  views 
and  a  flag  message  was  sent  to  the  other  ships  ordering  them  to  pre 
pare  to  go  in  and  bombard.  This  message  read: 

The  Massachusetts  and  New  Orleans  and  Iowa  will  go  in  after 
dinner  to  a  distance  of  7,000  yards  and  fire  at  Cristobal  Colon  with 
eight  and  twelve  and  thirteen-inch  guns.  Speed  about  ten  knots. 

ORDER  GIVEN  TO  MOVE  IN 

When  the  message  was  read,  the  effect  was  magical.  Officers 
and  men  alike  became  imbued  with  life  and  activity.  Listlessness  and 
ennui,  borne  of  the  waiting  and  the  heat,  vanished,  and  like  a  transfor 
mation  came  quick,  snappy  orders;  alert,  happy  replies.  Messengers 
hurried  here  and  there,  the  smaller  apprentice  boys  with  shining  eyes 
and  heightened  color;  while  among  the  men  there  was  apparent  a 
strong  feeling  of  delight  at  the  thought  that  at  last  the  months  of  practice 
at  target  shooting  were  to  be  consummated  by  a  real  attack  at  the 
"  dagoes,"  and  when  finally  the  order  was  given  to  "  move  in,"  a  ripple 


190  RECONNAISSANCE 

ran  over  the  ship  from  bow  to  stern,  that  only  the  fine  discipline  of  a 
man-of-war  kept  from  breaking  into  a  rousing  cheer. 

DON'T  EXPOSE  YOURSELVES 

Commodore  Schley  had  taken  up  a  position  near  the  conning  tower 
on  the  little  bridge  that  surrounded  it,  and  several  of  us  were  standing 
on  the  top  of  the  thirteen-inch  turret.  Suddenly,  noticing  our  position, 
he  called  somewhat  sharply,  "I  would  not  expose  myself  like  that,  if  I 
were  you,  boys.  You  don't  have  to  do  it,  and  I  do,"  and  as  we  looked 
upon  this  as  a  sort  of  order  coming  from  so  high  an  authority,  we 
stepped  down  and  took  our  positions  in  the  rear  of  the  conning  tower. 

"Tell  them  to  clear  for  action,"  said  the  Commodore,  and  the 
signal  had  hardly  been  made  out  when  a  cheer  from  each  ship  came 
over  the  water. 

GET  READY  TO  FIRE 

"Tell  them  to  get  ready  for  firing  and  go  to  quarters,"  added  the 
Commodore. 

The  men  were  at  their  guns  in  an  instant. 

"Fire  only  with  the  large  guns;  get  the  range  of  the  ship  in  the 
harbor  and  hit  her  if  you  can.  The  New  Orleans  may  try  a  few  shots 
at  Morro  for  a  range." 

The  ships  were  ready  to  move  in  when  Captain  Higginson,  pre 
paring  to  go  to  his  fighting  station  in  the  steel-protected  conning  tower, 
said: 

"You  had  better  step  in  the  tower,  Commodore;  you  will  be  safe 
there." 

"  No,"  replied  Commodore  Schley ;  "  I  want  to  see  things.  I  can't 
see  there." 

Then,  still  chewing  his  cigar,  he  stood  with  his  glasses  in  his  hands 
looking  toward  the  objective  point. 


RECONNAISSANCE  191 

The  men  of  the  secondary  batteries  who  were  not  busy  profited 
by  the  example  and  stood  out  on  the  open  deck  and  watched  the  firing 
of  the  big  guns. 

The  three  war  vessels  were  then  about  six  miles  from  the  entrance 
to  the  bay,  southwest  of  it,  and  where  the  Cristobal  Colon  could  not  be 
seen  as  she  lay  broadside  on  in  the  narrow  entrance  or  nook.  There 
was  but  one  place  where  she  could  be  fired  at  by  the  American  ships, 
and  the  firing  would  have  to  be  done,  if  the  ships  were  moving,  in  about 
two  minutes. 

"Go  ahead  at  ten  knots  northeast,"  was  the  order  issued  by  the 
Commodore,  and  the  ships  straightened  out. 

"Fire  when  you  are  at  about  7,000  yards,"  was  the  next  order  from 
the  Commodore,  who  then  stood  on  top  of  the  big  thirteen-inch  gun 
turret. 

MASSACHUSETTS  OPENS  FIRE 

Lieutenant  Potts,  with  the  stadimeter,  tolled  off  the  distances  to 
Lieutenant  Sears,  and  when  7,000  yards  was  announced  the  Cristobal 
Colon's  stem  and  the  bow  of  the  partly  dismantled  Reina  Mercedes 
showed  in  the  harbor. 

"You  can  fire  now,"  said  the  Commodore  to  the  semi-stripped  gun- 
captain,  who  sat  unconcernedly  in  the  opening  of  the  great  turret;  and 
then  the  Commodore  stepped  off  the  turret  in  order  to  avoid  the  con 
cussion. 

"Let  her  go,  lieutenant!"  was  heard  from  the  turret. 

WONDERFUL  SHOOTING  BY  THE  AMERICAN  GUNNERS 

There  was  a  frightful  roar  and  an  immense  half-ton  projectile,  pro 
pelled  by  the  explosion  of  five  hundred  pounds  of  powder,  went  flying 
toward  the  mark.  For  three  seconds  it  flew  along  its  trajectory  and 


192  RECONNAISSANCE 

when  it  dropped  there  arose  a  fountain  of  water,  which  for  a  minute  hid 
the  Colon  from  sight,  while  a  ringing  cheer  went  up  from  the  jackies 
on  deck. 

"A  little  short  there.  Try  your  other  a  little  higher  up,"  said  the 
Commodore. 

Elevated  to  8,000  yards  the  second  big  fellow  hurled  a  projectile 
toward  the  enemy. 

"A  fair  hit!"  cried  the  men,  as  the  shell  crashed  near  the  stern  of 
the  Reina  Mercedes  and  exploded. 

The  two  after-guns  then  spoke,  and  then  the  entrance  of  the  harbor 
of  Santiago  de  Cuba  was  shut  out  of  vision  from  the  battleship. 

SPANISH  BATTERIES  RETURN  FIRE 

By  this  time  the  little  cruiser  New  Orleans  had  come  in  range,  and 
the  forts  were  opening  a  steady  fire  from  what  were  evidently  high- 
power  modern  guns.  The  shells  dropped  thick  and  fast  over  or  short 
of  the  Massachusetts,  and  the  American  blue-jackets  jeered  and  laughed 
at  the  bad  aim  of  the  Spaniards.  One  very  well-put  shot  went  close, 
through  the  upperworks  of  the  Massachusetts,  but  it  did  not  hit  any 
thing  and  simply  made  a  splashing  in  the  water  upon  the  other  side  of 
the  battleship. 

"Well,  the  dagoes  are  getting  a  little  better,"  said  a  sailor. 
The  remark  caused  another  waggish  blue-jacket  to  say: 
"Oh,  give  them  a  year  and  they  will  learn  to  shoot." 
The  long  rifles  oi  the  New  Orleans  were  by  this  time  playing  a 
tattoo  on  the  low  lying  iorts  near  the  entrance,  so  as  to  draw  their  fire 
and  ascertain  their  range,  and  the  Iowa's  biggest  twelve-inch  guns  were 
hurling  steel  projectiles  into  the  harbor  entrance. 

The  forts  kept  up  a  perfect  cannonade  and  some  of  their  shots  were 
well  aimed,  so  far  as  the  range  was  concerned,  but  they  were  not 
effective. 


Copyright,  1902,  by  W.  B.  Conkey  Company. 

"Admiral  Cervera  and  his  son  were  rescued' 
(xxxii) 


A. 


RECONNAISSANCE  195 

The  Cristobal  Colon  opened  fire  with  her  big  guns,  but  her  shells 
never  once  came  near  the  line. 

After  running  a  mile  to  the  eastward  the  Massachusetts,  followed 
by  the  other  American  warships,  circled  around  and  ran  back  over  very 
nearly  the  same  course,  steaming  west  by  south.  On  getting  near  the 
same  range  at  which  the  firing  opened  before,  the  warships  fired  with 
their  starboard  batteries,  and  after  delivering  one  round  drew  out  of  the 
Spaniards'  range,  Commodore  Schley  saying  as  he  stepped  to  the 
quarter-deck: 

"Well,  we  let  them  know  that  we  have  some  ammunition,  and  I 
know  their  capacity  for  defense." 

COMMODORE  OUTWITS  SPANISH 

For  half  an  hour  after  the  ships  had  passed  a  mile  out  of  the  range 
of  the  shore  batteries  and  the  Cristobal  Colon,  the  Spaniards  kept  up 
their  fire.  Then  it  became  known,  by  the  placement  of  the  shot,  that 
the  enemy  had  plotted  a  neat  little  plan  that  might  have  succeeded  had 
there  been  good  gunnery.  The  modern  guns  on  shore  had  found  the 
range  of  the  place  where  the  Flying  Squadron  would  have  to  pass  in 
order  to  fire  on  the  Cristobal  Colon  and  had  trained  their  guns  to  play 
on  that  spot.  But  Commodore  Schley  beat  them  at  their  own  game  by 
going  by  at  ten  knots'  speed  and  firing  on  the  fly. 

THE  HARBOR  OF  SANTIAGO  WELL  FORTIFIED 

The  firing  disclosed  the  existence  of  a  new  battery  mounted  with 
ten-inch  modern  guns  just  east  of  Morro  Castle,  and  it  also  revealed 
the  fact  that  two  modern  guns  were  mounted  to  the  rear  of  the  Morro. 
Then  it  was  seen  that  to  the  west  of  the  entrance  and  opposite  Morro 
Castle  were  two  batteries  of  earthwork  with  modern  guns.  Besides 
this  the  Reina  Mercedes  had  two  loaded  torpedo  tubes  looking  down 


196  RECONNAISSANCE 

the  harbor,  and  as  in  one  place  the  channel  is  only  one  hundred  yards 
wide  and  five  fathoms  deep,  it  can  be  seen  that  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor  of  Santiago  de  Cuba  was  easily  defended  and  almost  impossible 
of  ingress  without  meeting  a  fire  that  would  sink  a  ship  and  prevent 
anything  from  coming  in  after  it.  In  addition  to  its  coast  and  harbor 
defense  the  channel  was  mined. 

WHAT  PERPLEXED  THE  ENEMY 

Undoubtedly  a  thing  that  perplexed,  and  yet  could  not  fail  to  inter 
est  our  enemies  ashore,  was  the  fact  that  while  three  of  the  American 
warships  spitting  fire  and  defiance  were  hurling  their  shells  into 
Santiago  harbor  and  making  the  first  hostile  demonstration  off  the 
southern  coast  of  Cuba,  three  or  four  others  were  quietly  coaling  from 
colliers  they  had  brought  along  with  them,  while  those  of  their  officers 
and  crew  who  were  not  engaged  in  this  occupation  crowded  upon  the 
superstructures  and  mastheads,  glasses  in  hand,  and  watched  the  bom 
bardment  with  the  same  interest  as  they  would  watch  a  baseball  or  foot 
ball  game. 

Perhaps  the  best  description  of  Schley  during  this  fight  that  has 
been  given  was  that  remark  of  Captain  Higginson,  the  commander  of 
the  Massachusetts,  who,  when  asked  what  was  Commodore  Schley's 
attitude  during  the  bombardment,  replied:  "It  was  that  of  a  commander- 
in-chief." 

THE  COMMODORE'S  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

The  Commodore  himself  gives  an  accurate  description  of  the  bom 
bardment,  and  the  reasons  for  it.  He  says: 

"On  the  31st,  whilst  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Marblehead  and  Texas 
were  coaling,  I  transferred  my  flag  to  the  Massachusetts,  and  deter 
mined  that  I  would  develop  the  fortifications,  because  the  information 
which  we  had  on  board,  from  the  Hydrographic  Office,  was  rather  unde- 


RECONNAISSANCE  197 

termined.  I  think  one  source  of  information  stated  that  the  batteries 
were  old  and  another  stated  that  Krupps  were  mounted.  The  general 
belief,  however,  was  that  all  of  the  southern  places  were  very  heavily 
fortified.  In  fact,  we  knew  very  little  about  the  effect  of  the  higher 
power  artillery,  either  on  shore,  in  emplacements,  or  on  board  ship  in 
batteries.  Feeling  that  we  ought  to  know  something  about  the  fortifica 
tions  which  defended  that  place,  I  determined  to  go  in  and  take  advan 
tage  of  what  I  believed  to  be  the  longer  range  of  our  own  guns,  and 
develop  fully  what  its  defenses  were,  and  incidentally  if  we  could  get  a 
shot  into  the  Colon,  that  was  lying  exposed  somewhat,  to  do  it. 

TRANSFERS  FLAG  TO  MASSACHUSETTS 

'*!  think  we  were  lying  in  a  position  perhaps  four  to  five  miles  to 
the  westward.  The  steaming  in  was  at  slow  speed.  I  transferred  my 
flag  and  named  7,000  yards  as  the  range;  went  on  board  of  the  Massa 
chusetts,  and  when  I  got  on  board  it  happened  to  be  near  the  dinner 
hour  and  Captain  Higginson  suggested  that  we  postpone  until  one  o'clock 
the  going  in  to  develop  these  batteries.  I  assented  to  that,  and  after 
one  o'clock,  when  the  luncheon  was  over,  we  went  to  quarters  and 
steamed  in  pretty  nearly  head  on. 

"I  took  with  me  Lieutenant-Commander  Sears,  Lieutenant  Wells, 
Ensign  McCauley,  and  Mr.  George  E.  Graham,  the  correspondent  of 
the  Associated  Press,  who  was  most  earnest  in  his  request  to  go  with 
us.  I  demurred  for  some  time,  feeling  that  one  who  was  not  paid  for 
fighting  ought  not  really  to  be  exposed.  He  was  there  in  the  interest  of 
the  press  and  I  thought  I  would  spare  him ;  but  we  got  on  board  and 
went  to  quarters,  and  before  going  to  quarters,  while  we  were  standing 
in,  Captain  Higginson  and  I  had  a  talk  over  the  matter.  I  did  not  feel 
excited  myself  or  nervous  over  it,  because  if  I  had,  I  need  not  have 
undertaken  it;  but  I  had  some  regard  for  those  people  who  were  stand- 


198  RECONNAISSANCE 

ing  upon  the  turret,  because  I  was  afraid  that  the  shock  of  the  great 
guns  might  injure  them,  and  I  called  to  them.  I  said:  'I  would  not 
take  such  a  position — a  position  of  such  exposure.  You  do  not  have  to 
do  it,  but  I  have  to.'  I  was  upon  the  platform,  or  at  least  the  gallery, 
which  surrounded  the  conning  tower. 

THE  NEW  ORLEANS  ENGAGED  THE  BATTERIES 

"I  gave  the  distance  as  7,000  yards.  Mr.  Potts  reported  to  Cap 
tain  Higginson,  in  my  hearing,  that  we  were  on  that  range.  Captain 
Higginson  reported  to  me.  I  told  him,  of  course,  to  take  up  his  opera 
tions  as  directed. 

"The  moment  that  we  opened  fire  the  heavier  guns  were  directed 
at  the  Colon,  and  a  signal  was  made  by  my  direction  from  the  Massa 
chusetts  to  the  New  Orleans  to  engage  the  batteries.  But  the  moment 
that  we  began  firing,  the  batteries  on  the  hills  to  the  eastward  of  the 
Morro,  and  the  Socapa,  and  the  Morro  itself  opened.  There  was  a  slope 
to  the  westward  upon  which  there  was  a  battery  firing  smokeless  pow 
der,  for  I  could  only  see  the  flashes;  and  that  was  true  as  well  of  the 
battery  to  the  eastward  of  the  Morro.  The  Socapa  seemed  to  me  to  be 
the  only  fortification  that  used  smoking  powder.  Quite  a  storm  of  pro 
jectiles  came  out.  They  impressed  me  as  being  guns  of  six  or  eight- 
inch  calibre.  There  were  many  passed  over  the  squadron.  The  Vixen 
was  lying  half  a  mile  outside  of  the  squadron,  and  shell  went  over  her. 

THE  SPANIARDS  USE  LONG  RANGE  GUNS 

"I  could  not  see  the  firing  in  the  harbor,  but  I  assumed  that  they 
were  firing  at  random  over  the  hills,  in  view  of  the  long  range  of  these 
guns ;  but  the  Socapa  battery  unquestionably  reached  us  and  sent  shells 
over  us.  I  do  not  know  whether  their  guns  were  superior  or  not,  but 
the  fact  was,  they  did  go  beyond  us.  It  was  therefore  military  folly  to 


I 


RECONNAISSANCE  201 

risk  any  of  our  battleships,  especially  after  the  instructions  which  we 
had  received,  so  as  to  have  occasioned  any  diminution  of  force  under 
the  then  existing  circumstances.  If  we  had  lost  one  or  two,  or  injured 
one  or  two  of  our  vessels,  the  squadron,  composed  of  only  five  or  six 
ships,  would  have  been  at  a  very  great  disadvantage,  and  it  probably 
might  have  invited  an  attack  which  would  have  had  disastrous  results." 


10 


CHAPTER  XI 

HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT 

ON  THE  morning  of  June  1st  at  daylight,  ships  were  sighted  and 
were  quickly  made  out  to  be  the  New  York,  flying  the  broad 
pennant  of  Rear- Admiral  William  T.  Sampson  ;  the  Oregon,  fresh  from 
her  long  journey  around  the  coast ;  and  a  couple  of  full-stocked  colliers, 
completing  practically  the  North  Atlantic  squadron  with  which  Sampson, 
now  assuming  command,  would  commence  the  blockade  of  the  harbor. 
In  plain  sight,  near  the  harbor  entrance,  lay  the  Spanish  cruiser,  Cris 
tobal  Colon,  and  there  she  remained  until  nearly  eleven  o'clock  that 
morning,  when  she  picked  up  her  anchor  and  moved  further  up  the  bay, 
The  ships  of  the  squadron  swung  idly  around  all  through  the  day, 
a  few  of  them  coaling,  but  no  attempt  being  made  to  further  reconnoitre, 
or  to  attack  the  enemy.  Commodore  Schley  reported  to  Admiral  Samp 
son  that  he  had  sent  ashore  a  Cuban  pilot  with  orders  to  get  a  look  at 
the  harbor  and  return  not  later  than  the  morning  of  June  4th.  Admiral 
Sampson  gave  his  approval  to  this  procedure,  and  ordered  that  the  pilot 
report  to  him  upon  his  return. 

BOTTLING  UP  THE  SPANISH  FLEET 

The  next  morning,  June  2d,  after  an  uneventful  night  and  after 
Admiral  Sampson  had  determined  that  the  blockade  should  be  an 
immobile  one  with  the  vessels  remaining  in  a  fixed  semi-circle,  he 
broached  the  idea  of  sending  into  the  harbor  entrance  a  collier,  sinking 

203 


204  HOBSOWS  EXPLOIT 

her  there  for  the  purpose  of  "bottling  up"  the  Spanish  fleet.  The  idea 
had  already  been  spoken  of  to  Admiral  Schley  by  the  Navy  Department, 
which  had  asked  him  to  use  his  judgment  as  to  the  policy  of  sending  in 
an  old  hulk  loaded  with  stones,  and  allowing  the  enemy  to  sink  her  with 
torpedoes  or  shots.  The  Commodore  had  always  taken  the  attitude  that 
we  should  offer  every  inducement  for  the  fleet  to  come  out;  that  while 
inside  they  were  a  menace  to  the  army,  but  that  if  they  ever  did  come 
outside  we  could  certainly  whip  them.  He  reiterated  these  views  to 
Admiral  Sampson,  and  when  told  that  Lieutenant  Hobson,  of  the  Con 
struction  Corps  of  the  Navy,  had  volunteered  to  take  in  a  ship,  and,  with 
the  assistance  of  five  or  six  men,  sink  her,  he  still  further  objected  on 
the  ground  that  it  was  a  sacrifice  of  human  life,  with  the  chances  ninety- 
nine  to  a  hundred  that  it  would  not  succeed,  and,  finally,  that  the  collier 
would  prove  as  much  of  a  menace  to  us  if  we  attempted  to  go  in  as  to  the 
Spaniards  if  they  attempted  to  come  out. 

DECIDES  TO  SINK  COLLIER  AT  ENTRANCE  OF  SANTIAGO  HARBOR 

But  it  would  appear  that  before  reaching  Santiago  Admiral  Samp 
son  had  practically  decided  to  make  the  attempt  to  close  the  harbor, 
having  talked  over  the  matter  with  Lieutenant  Hobson,  of  the  Naval  Con 
struction  Department,  who  had  been  assigned  to  the  New  York  by  the 
Navy  Department  for  the  purpose  of  watching  the  effects  of  shots  upon 
war  vessels,  and  also  the  actions  of  the  ships  themselves.  A  study  of 
the  details  of  the  harbor  of  Santiago  after  Commodore  Schley  had  suc 
ceeded  in  his  famous  "bottling  up  of  the  Spaniards"  there,  demonstrated 
the  fact  that  the  neck,  at  a  point  about  300  yards  inside  the  highlands  at 
the  mouth,  had  an  extreme  width  of  1,000  yards,  and  that  of  that  width 
but  about  500  feet  had  the  requisite  depth  of  water  to  allow  of  the 
passage  of  vessels  of  war  drawing  twenty  or  more  feet, 

In  fact,  so  fully  had  the  determination  been  made  to  sink  a  collier  in 


£k 


.« 


HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT  207 

the  entrance,  that  Admiral  Sampson  and  Lieutenant  Hobson,  as  we 
afterward  learned,  had,  on  the  way  from  the  northern  coast  to  Santiago, 
perfected  all  the  technical  plans  for  the  attempt,  so  that  upon  arrival  off 
the  blockade  all  that  remained  to  be  done  was  the  actual  work  of  pre 
paring  the  collier. 

LIEUTENANT  HOBSON'S  TRAITS  OF  CHARACTER 

Lieutenant  Hobson  was  a  very  young  man,  twenty-eight  years  of 
age,  but  had  already  risen  to  a  place  of  prominence  in  his  profession. 
Studious,  retiring,  reticent,  and  of  a  thoroughly  independent  nature, 
having  always  clearly  demonstrated  a  tendency  to  mark  out  new  roads 
for  himself  as  much  as  was  permissible  with  naval  rulings,  he  attracted 
companions  to  him  by  his  forceful  self-reliance,  and  by  his  careful  and 
unsuperficial  view  of  situations.  Sampson,  possessing  many  of  the  same 
splendid  attributes,  had  taken  a  liking  to  the  young  officer,  and  had  agreed 
to  his  suggested  plans  of  attempting  to  pen  in  the  Spanish  fleet.  This 
remarkable  young  officer  had  not  come  to  his  superior  with  a  verbal  sug 
gestion  merely,  and  expecting  the  Admiral  to  perfect  the  details,  but, 
with  the  methodical  genius  for  which  he  was  noted  not  only  through  the 
war  but  during  his  school  days,  Hobson  had  presented  plans  and  draw 
ings  and"  specifications  to  show  its  feasibility,  and  at  the  same  time 
proffered  a  request,  amounting  to  as  nearly  a  demand  as  discipline  would 
allow,  that  he  be  permitted  to  personally  conduct  the  expedition. 

One  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  Admiral  Sampson  is  his  unwill 
ingness  to  risk  human  life,  and  when  Hobson  first  propounded  his  plan 
there  was  a  flat  objection.  The  Lieutenant,  however,  insisted  that  it 
had  been  shown,  both  in  actual  and  mimic  warfare,  that  it  is  possible  for 
a  penned-in  fleet  to  sometimes  creep  through  the  blockading  line,  and 
that  Spain's  fast  fleet  might  readily  escape  from  Santiago  harbor  in  heavy 
weather,  thus  undoing  the  splendid  accomplishment  of  Schley,  so,  as  I 


208  HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT 

have  before  said,  the  Admiral  finally  fully  agreed  with  Hobson's  sug 
gestions. 

"You  may  attempt  your  plan,"  said  Sampson,  "but  you  must  do  it 
with  as  little  sacrifice  of  life  as  possible;  and  every  man  who  goes  with 
you  must  fully  understand  the  danger,  and  that  his  going  is  purely  vol 
untary." 

THE  MERRIMAC  SELECTED  AS  THE   SACRIFICE 

It  was  decided  that  the  Merrimac,the  ill-fated  collier  that  had  caused 
Commodore  Schley  so  much  trouble  and  annoyance,  was  to  be  the  sac 
rifice,  and  in  her  glorious  ending  she  retrieved  her  honor.  She  was  an 
iron  ship  of  some  4,000  tons,  and  about  330  feet  long,  with  triple  expan 
sion  engines.  She  had  on  board,  the  day  her  fate  was  decided,  about 
2,300  tons  of  coal,  and  when  the  New  York  arrived,  was  lying  alongside 
the  Massachusetts,  replenishing  the  warship's  depleted  bunkers.  Quickly, 
as  the  final  choice  of  the  collier  was  made,  the  signal  was  flown  from 
the  flagship  that  volunteers  were  wanted  "for  a  desperate  and  perhaps 
fatal  expedition,"  and  that  but  one  man  could  be  sent  from  a  ship.  And 
then  came  a  reply  that  should  be  as  famed  in  verse  and  song  as  was  the 
famous  "Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade,"  by  Tennyson's  immortal  pen. 
Not  sustained  by  the  heat  of  battle,  nor  by  a  fierce  desire  to  repay  shot 
for  shot,  or  blow  for  blow,  but  with  a  knowledge  that  their  duty  would  be 
quietly  waiting  in  an  attempt  to  accomplish  their  object  before  they  were 
picked  off  like  pigeons  at  a  "shoot,"  the  reply  was  wig-wagged  from  every 
ship  in  the  fleet,  that  not  one  man  had  volunteered  but,  instead,  nearly 
the  entire  ship's  crew  stood  ready  for  the  attempt,  officers  and  men 
alike — hundreds  anxious  to  do  what  only  a  bare  half  dozen  might 
accomplish. 

"Every  man  on  this  ship  wants  to  go,"  signaled  Captain  "Bob" 
Evans,  of  the  Iowa. 

"We  can  give  you  250  volunteers,"  came  the  wig-wag  from  Philip, 


HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT  209 

of  the  Texas,  while  from  the  Brooklyn  the  message  came,  "Two-thirds 
of  the  Brooklyn's  crew  are  fighting  for  first  place."  Finally,  it  had  to 
be  left  to  the  commanding  officers  of  the  ships  to  choose  each  one 
man,  and  even  with  the  authority  vested  in  them,  it  was  a  difficult  task. 
The  first  seaman  known  to  have  volunteered  was  William  F.  Snod- 
grass,  a  boatswain's  mate  of  the  cruiser  Brooklyn.  His  selection  almost 
caused  a  riot  on  board  the  Brooklyn,  the  many  other  disappointed  men 
claiming  that  his  previous  knowledge  of  the  expedition  gave  him  the 
advantage.  So  bitter  did  the  warfare  of  the  men  seeking  glory  in  prob 
able  death  become,  that  the  matter  was  finally  referred  to  the  executive 
officer,  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason,  who  selected  another  man,  much 
to  the  disappointment  of  Snodgrass. 

LEFT  TO  HOBSON  TO  CHOOSE  HIS  CREW 

On  the  Texas  and  on  the  cruiser  New  York,  as  well  as  on  other 
ships  of  the  squadron,  similar  scenes  were  being  enacted,  while  the 
crew  of  the  Merrimac  strenuously  protested  that  they,  having  always' 
manned  the  ship,  should  now  be  the  ones  to  reap  her  glory.  Finally  it 
was  left  to  Lieutenant  Hobson  to  choose  his  own  crew  of  six  men,  the 
number  he  considered  adequate  for  the  enterprise.  The  first  six  men 
selected  from  the  ships  of  the  Flying  Squadron  were:  Richard  Dalton,  of 
the  Brooklyn;  P.  J.  Doyle,  of  the  Texas;  J.  W.  Neill,  of  the  New 
Orleans;  W.  Anderson,  of  the  Massachusetts;  Thomas  Wade,  of  the 
Vixen;  and  P.  Murphy,  of  the  Iowa.  These  men,  envied  by  nearly 
every  other  man  on  the  fleet,  were  put  at  work,  together  with  the  crew 
of  the  collier,  and  some  hands  from  the  Texas  and  the  New  York,  clearing 
the  Merrimac  of  all  her  portable,  valuable  property,  and  preparing  her 
for  her  last  voyage. 

But  the  trouble  among  the  men,  which  had  momentarily  been  stilled, 
broke  out  afresh  and  still  more  virulently,  each  projecting  some  special 


210  HOB  SON'S  EXPLOIT 

reason  for  which  he  should  be  more  fitted  to  join  the  expedition  than  his 
fellow.  Captain  Miller,  of  the  Merrimac,  claimed  his  right  as  command 
ing  officer  to  go  in  with  the  Merrimac,  but  his  request  was  finally  denied 
by  Admiral  Sampson,  as  the  Captain,  not  being  familiar  with  Hobson's 
plans,  could  have  been  only  a  passenger,  while  the  trejnendous 
exposure  to  which  the  men  would  be  subjected  if  any  survived  the  sink 
ing  of  the  collier,  precluded  any  but  young  men  taking  part  in  the 
expedition.  The  controversy  among  the  men  was  finally  decided  by 
Admiral  Sampson,  who  ruled  that  Lieutenant  Hobson  should  be  the 
only  officer  aboard  the  Merrimac,  and  that  her  crew  should  be  made  up 
half  of  men  who  formerly  served  on  the  collier,  and  half  of  men  from  the 
New  York.  The  men  who  finally  constituted  the  crew,  and  who 
accompanied  Lieutenant  Hobson  were : 

THE  BRAVE  CREW  OF  THE  MERRIMAC 

Daniel  Montague,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.;  George  Charette,  of  Paw- 
tucketnele,  Mass. ;  J.  C.  Murphy  (residence  unknown),  all  of  the  New 
York;  Oscar  Deignan,  of  Ohio;  George  F.  Phillips  and  Francis  Kelly, 
of  the  Massachusetts,  all  three  members  of  the  former  Merrimac  crew. 
There  was  one  other  man  aboard,  H.  Clausen,  of  New  York  City,  who 
had  stolen  there  from  a  launch  of  the  cruiser  New  York  and  stowed 
himself  away,  and  who  was  not  discovered  until  the  collier  was  well  on 
into  the  harbor. 

It  was  expected  that  the  collier  would  make  the  attempt  to  enter 
the  harbor  the  night  of  June  2d,  but  it  was  impossible  to  complete 
arrangements  in  time,  so  it  was  not  until  the  night  of  the  3d  that  she 
finally  got  under  way. 

THE  GENERAL  PLAN  OF  THE  MANOEUVRE 

The  general  plan  of  the  manoeuvre,  as  decided  upon  and  approved 
by  the  Admiral,  was  to  approach  at  full  speed,  stopping  a  short  distance. 


HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT  213 

from  the  entrance,  so  that  a  speed  of  about  four  and  a  half  or  five  knots 
should  be  attained  when  ready  for  the  final  movements.  Here  the  helm 
was  to  be  put  hard  aport,  and  as  the  ship  began  to  swing  the  starboard 
bow  anchor  would  be  dropped  with  sixty  fathoms  of  chain;  while,  further 
in,  in  a  second  position,  the  starboard  stern  anchor  was  to  be  dropped 
with  forty  fathoms  of  chain,  thus  permitting  the  ship  to  take  the  desired 
position,  where  she  would  be  lying  on  a  span  directly  athwart.  The 
nose  of  the  vessel  would  stick  into  the  shoal  on  the  channel's  right,  so 
that  in  case  the  anchor  chain  were  carried  away,  the  movement  would 
cause  the  vessel  to  throw  her  port  quarter  into  the  shoal  on  the  port 
side,  the  bank  being  only  one  and  a  fourth  fathoms  deep. 

ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  THE  COLLIER  PERFECTED 

On  Wednesday  night,  just  after  dark,  the  arrangements  for  the 
collier  were  practically  perfected,  the  guns,  furniture  and  provisions 
having  all  been  removed,  and  the  coal  shifted  so  that  the  collier  lay  on 
an  even  keel. 

During  the  afternoon  I  had  gone  aboard  the  Merrimac  to  witness 
the  preparations,  and  the  picked  crew  for  the  expedition,  seeing  my 
camera,  had  ranged  up  in  line  and  proffered  the  request  that  I  should 
take  their  photograph.  And  this,  not  for  the  purpose  of  sending  them 
to  their  families,  but  that  they  might  have  them  when  they  returned 
from  sinking  the  Merrimac.  This  spirit  of  courage  and  faith  was 
evinced  so  plainly,  that  there  were  found  hidden  away  in  the  hold  of  the 
Merrimac  four  sailors  from  the  Texas.  When  discovered  and  hauled 
to  the  deck,  the  spokesman  said  regretfully,  "Well,  we  just  wanted  to 
see  the  fun." 

LIEUTENANT  HOBSON  DETAILS  HIS  PLANS 

In  the  evening,  over  on  the  New  York,  Lieutenant  Hobson  gave  the 
only  interview  which  he  permitted  to  any  one.  He  said; 


214  HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT 

"I  shall  go  right  into  the  harbor  until  about  400  yards  past  the 
Estrella  battery,  which  is  behind  Morro  Castle.  I  do  not  think  they  can 
sink  me  before  I  reach  somewhere  near  that  point.  The  Merrimac  has 
7,000  tons  buoyancy,  and  I  shall  keep  her  full  speed  ahead.  She  can 
make  about  ten  knots. 

"  When  the  narrowest  part  of  the  channel  is  reached  I  shall  put 
her  helm  hard  aport,  stop  the  engines,  drop  the  anchors,  open  the  sea 
connections,  touch  off  the  torpedoes  and  leave  the  Merrimac  a  wreck, 
lying  athwart  the  channel,  which  is  not  as  broad  as  the  Merrimac  is  long. 

"There  are  ten  eight-inch  improvised  torpedoes  below  the  water 
line  on  the  Merrimac's  port  side.  They  are  placed  on  her  side  against 
the  bulkheads  and  vital  spots,  connected  with  each  other  by  a  wire 
under  the  ship's  keel.  Each  torpedo  contains  eighty-two  pounds  of 
gunpowder.  Each  torpedo  is  also  connected  with  the  bridge,  and  they 
should  do  their  work  in  a  minute,  and  it  will  be  quick  work  even  if 
done  in  a  minute  and  a  quarter. 

HOW  HE  DISTRIBUTED  HIS  LITTLE  CREW 

"On  deck  there  will  be  four  men  and  myself.  In  the  engine  room 
there  will  be  two  other  men.  This  is  the  total  crew,  and  all  of  us  will 
be  in  our  underclothing,  with  revolvers  and  ammunition  in  the  water 
tight  packing  strapped  around  our  waists.  Forward  there  will  be  a 
man  on  deck,  and  around  his  waist  will  be  a  line,  the  other  end  of  the 
line  being  made  fast  to  the  bridge,, where  I  will  stand. 

"By  that  man's  side  will  be  an  axe.  When  I  stop  the  engines  I 
shall  jerk  this  cord  and  he  will  thus  get  the  signal  to  cut  the  lashing 
which  will  be  holding  the  forward  anchor.  He  will  then  jump  over 
board  and  swim  to  the  four-oared  dingy  which  we  shall  tow  astern. 
The  dingy  is  full  of  life  buoys  and  is  unsinkable.  In  it  are  rifles.  It  is 
to  be  held  by  two  ropes,  one  made  fast  at  her  bow  and  one  at  her  stern. 


HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT  215 

The  first  man  to  reach  her  will  haul  in  the  tow  line  and  pull  the  dingy 
out  to  starboard.  The  next  to  leave  the  ship  are  the  rest  of  the  crew. 
The  quartermaster  at  the  wheel  will  not  leave  until  after  having  put  it 
hard  aport  and  lashed  it  so;  he  will  then  jump  overboard. 

EACH  MAN  HAD  A  SPECIFIC  DUTY  TO  PERFORM 

"Down  below  the  man  at  the  reversing  gear  will  stop  the  engines, 
scramble  on  deck  and  get  over  the  side  as  quickly  as  possible. 

"The  man  in  the  engine  room  will  break  open  the  sea  connections 
with  a  sledge  hammer,  and  will  follow  his  leader  into  the  water.  This 
last  insures  the  sinking  of  the  Merrimac  whether  the  torpedoes  work  or 
not. 

"By  this  time  I  calculate  the  six  men  will  be  in  the  dingy  and  the 
Merrimac  will  have  swung  athwart  the  channel  to  the  full  length  of  her 
300  yard  of  cable,  which  will  have  been  paid  out  before  the  anchors 
were  cut  loose. 

"Then  all  that  is  left  for  me  is  to  touch  the  button.  I  shall  stand 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  bridge.  The  explosion  will  throw  the  Mer 
rimac  on  her  starboard  side.  Nothing  on  this  side  of  New  York  City 
will  be  able  to  raise  her  after  that." 

THE  MERRIMAC  STARTS  ON  HER  PERILOUS  MISSION 

It  was  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June  3d  when  the  expedition 
finally  got  away.  On  the  bridge  of  the  Brooklyn  stood  Commodore 
Schley,  Flag-Lieutenant  Sears,  Captain  Murphy,  Dr.  DeValin,  and  the 
writer.  Lieutenant  Rush,  officer  of  the  deck,  with  his  glass  on  the 
doomed  ship,  said  at  precisely  2:15,  "She  is  moving,"  and  from  that 
time  on  for  over  an  hour  scarcely  a  word  passed  any  one's  lips.  The 
moon  shone  quite  brightly  toward  the  Morro,  bringing  out  its  white 
stone  face  sharply  against  the  black  background.  The  coal  steamer, 


216  HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT 

without  a  light  of  any  kind  and  not  showing  a  particle  of  smoke,  moved 
along  like  a  huge  ghost  ship  on  the  dark,  gray  sea.  On  her  bridge,  as 
she  passed  under  the  Brooklyn's  stern,  could  be  seen  three  of  her  gallant 
crew,  and  one,  whom  we  decided  to  be  Hobson,  removed  his  hat,  while 
Commodore  Schley  leaned  forward,  and  waving  his  cap,  said,  "God 
bless  you,  my  boy;  good  luck." 

MAKES  FOR  THE  ENTRANCE  OF  THE  HARBOR 

Slowly  the  Merrimac  passed  on  toward  the  black  opening  beneath 
the  Morro  that,  faced  by  two  sharp  hills,  looked  like  a  yawning  cavern 
of  death.  From  the  bridge,  as  we  viewed  it,  the  setting  moon  striking 
the  yellowish  stone  of  the  castle  and  throwing  the  gorge  at  the  entrance 
into  a  deep  shadow,  made  the  effect  of  a  huge  gaping  mouth  with  a 
single  gleam-ing  eye  above  it,  waiting  and  watching  for  its  prey.  When 
about  two  miles  from  Morro  the  Merrimac  turned  slightly  to  the  west 
and  ran  into  the  dense  shadow  of  the  great  hill  at  that  side  of  the 
entrance.  Then,  running  at  full  speed,  she  dashed  for  the  entrance, 
and  at  3:15  we,  straining  our  eyes  through  the  night  glasses,  saw  the 
tiny  black  speck  slip  through  the  opening.  For  ten  minutes  hearts  beat 
faster  and  faster,  and  then  suddenly  a  Spanish  gun  on  shore  spit  her 
first  venomous  fire,  and  in  a  moment  the  dark  mouth  had  become  a 
cauldron  of  flame  and  shell,  the  water  whipped  into  a  phosphorescent 
glare  by  the  rainfall  of  bullets,  while  the  echo  of  the  huge  guns'  loud 
mouthings  reverberated  from  hill  to  hill,  and  finally  swept  out  over  the 
water  to  us  who  were  waiting  on  the  ships,  vainly  trying  to  pierce  the 
hellish  glare  for  a  glimpse  of  the  Merrimac. 

TERRIBLE  BAPTISM  OF  FIRE  FROM  THE  SPANISH 

Hearts  sank  at  the  awful  spectacle,  and  prayers  went  up  for  the 
safety  of  the  little  crew,  but  it  seemed  as  though  there  could  be  scant 


,  -  /'    .  •*&•'  »  .^ '   «• 


HOBSON'S  EXPLOIT  219 

hope  for  those  who  had  entered  into  "the  jaws  of  death,  into  the  mouth 
of  hell."  For  thirty-five  minutes  this  terrible  baptism  of  fire  continued, 
the  entire  harbor  apparently  being  covered  by  the  guns,  while  the 
searchlights  of  the  enemy  could  be  seen  seeking  here  and  there  for  the 
stranger,  and  then,  at  3:50,  all  was  suddenly  silenced,  and  darkness 
curtained  the  scene. 


CHAPTER  XII 
AN  ESCAPE 

UNTIL  daylight,  we  sat  anxiously  awaiting  for  a  possible  sign  of  life 
from  the  harbor.  In  the  early  morning,  the  little  steam  launch 
that  had  followed  the  Merrimac  out  a  few  hours  previous  steamed  from 
near  the  mouth  of  the  batteries  and  announced,  "Nobody  has  returned. 
But,"  added  the  boyish  commander,  as  the  launch  steamed  away,  his 
enthusiasm  for  Hobson's  splendid  action  overwhelming  for  the  moment 
his  loss  of  a  friend,  "he  did  it  just  the  same." 

A  GROUP  OF  BRAVE  MEN 

The  coming  of  this  little  launch,  even  though  it  brought  dishearten 
ing  news,  was  also  joyfully  received,  for  it  brought  back  a  group  of  brave 
men— young  Naval-Cadet  J.  W.  Powell,  and  P.  K.  Peterson,  H.  Han- 
ford,  J.  Mullings,  and  G.  L.  Russell,  all  of  the  flagship  New  York. 
Powell  was  really  almost  a  mere  boy,  being  one  of  the  Naval  Academy 
class  who,  like  the  class  at  West  Point,  had  at  the  commencement  of 
the  war  been  drafted  into  active  service  before  being  graduated.  He 
had  been  chosen  by  Admiral  Sampson  to  take  the  launch  on  its  peril 
ous  task,  not  only  on  account  of  his  cool-headedness  and  ability  to 
command,  but  because  of  his  great  love  and  friendship  for  Lieutenant 
Hobson,  under  whose  tuition  he  had  been  at  Annapolis.  When  the 
Merrimac  had  slipped  away  from  the  fleet,  out  into  the  darkness  on  her 
dash  for  the  harbor,  following  in  her  wake  like  a  plucky  terrier,  had  run 

221 


ESCAPE 

the  little  launch,  so  that  if  after  the  sinking  of  the  collier  any  of  her  crew 
escaped,  they  would  find  help  at  hand. 

THE  LITTLE  LAUNCH  SCOUTS  FOR  SURVIVORS 

In  the  early  morning  light  the  little  launch  had  scouted  back  and 
forth  across  the  harbor  entrance  in  a  vain  search  for  any  survivors.  It 
had  suddenly  been  discovered  by  the  gunners  on  Morro,  and  from  the 
Brooklyn  we  saw  the  flashes  of  fire  and  puffs  of  light  smoke  that  told 
she  was  being  attacked.  With  our  glasses  we  saw  young  Powell  head 
his  launch  in  toward  the  shore,  until  he  was  so  close  under  the  hills 
that  the  guns  could  not  be  trained  on  him,  and  then  creep  along  in  the 
shadows  in  an  endeavor  to  get  out  of  range.  When  he  considered,  evi 
dently,  that  he  was  safe  from  their  projectiles,  he  turned  to  run  out  to  sea, 
and  brave  Captain  Jack  Philip,  always  ready  and  generous  to  assist, 
headed  the  Texas  in  to  meet  him.  Some  shots  from  the  Morro  fell 
short,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  little  launch  ran  alongside  the  fleet  and 
we  were  told  of  the  fear  that  all  the  Merrimac's  crew  had  been  killed. 

MOMENTS  OF  HORRIBLE  SUSPENSE 

All  this  time  Schley  had  stood  on  the  bridge,  watching  every  move 
ment  of  the  collier  and  launch,  and  during  the  latter's  final  dash  I  had 
seen  him  lean  forward  and  grasp,  almost  spasmodically,  the  binoculars, 
while  his  lips  moved  as  if  in  prayer.  And  when,  finally,  the  Texas  had 
picked  her  up,  and  the  two  were  near  at  hand,  I  saw  his  whole  figure 
relax,  a  smile  come  over  his  face,  while  he  murmured  a  fervent,  low, 
"Thank  God."  But  as  the  sad  report  was  made  that  nothing  had  been 
seen  of  Hobson  or  his  men,  though  the  search  had  been  thorough,  the 
Commodore's  face  saddened,  and  turning  quietly  toward  the  Morro  he 
stood  for  a  moment  gazing  at  its  grim  outline,  and  with  tears  gathering 
in  his  eyes,  said,  "Too  bad,  too  bad.  But  they  met  the  death  of  heroes." 


•§• 


1 

^> 

1  R 

8     - 


AN  ESCAPE  225 

A  little  later  young  Powell  told  the  exceeding  modest  story  of  his 
exploit,  evidently  considering  the  action  of  himself  and  his  men  of  no 
account,  and  giving  all  the  glory  and  honor  to  Hobson.  Cadet  Powell 
said: 

CADET  POWELL'S  ACCOUNT 

"  During  the  early  night  Lieutenant  Hobson  took  a  short  sleep  for  a 
few  hours,  which  was  often  interrupted.  A  quarter  to  two  he  came  on 
deck  and  made  a  final  inspection,  giving  his  last  instruction.  Then  we 
had  a  little  lunch.  Hobson  was  as  cool  as  a  cucumber.  About  2:30 
o'clock  I  took  the  men  who  were  not  going  on  the  trip  into  launches 
and  started  for  the  Texas,  the  nearest  ship,  but  had  to  go  back  for  the 
engineers  whom  Hobson  finally  compelled  to  leave.  Hobson  said: 
'  Powell,  watch  the  boat's  crew  when  we  pull  out  of  the  harbor.  We 
will  be  cracks,  rowing  thirty  strokes  to  the  minute.' 

"After  leaving  the  Texas  I  saw  the  Merrimac  steaming  slowly  in.  It 
was  only  fairly  dark  then,  and  the  shore  was  quite  visible.  We  followed 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  astern. 

FIRING  ON  THE  MERRIMAC  . 

'The  Merrimac  stood  about  a  mile  to  the  westward  of  the  harbor  and 
seemed  a  bit  mixed,  but  turned,  and  finally  heading  to  the  east  she  ran 
down  and  then  turned  in.  We  were  at  that  time  chasing  him,  because 
I  thought  Hobson  had  lost  his  bearings.  When  Hobson  was  about  300 
yards  from  the  harbor,  the  first  gun  was  fired  from  the  east  bluff.  We 
were  then  half  a  mile  off  shore,  close  under  the  batteries.  The  firing 
increased  rapidly.  We  steamed  in  slowly  and  lost  sight  of  the  Merrimac 
in  the  smoke  which  the  wind  carried  off  shore.  It  hung  heavily.  Before 
Hobson  could  have  blown  up  the  Merrimac  the  western  battery  picked 

us  up  and  commenced  firing.    They  shot  v/ild  and  we  only  heard  the 
11 


226  AN  ESCAPE 

shots.     We  ran  in  still  closer  to  the  shore,  and  the  gunners  lost  sight 
of  us.     Then  we  heard  the  explosion  of  the  torpedoes  on  the  Merrimac. 

KEPT  A  SHARP  LOOKOUT  FOR  SWIMMERS 

"  Until  daylight  we  waited  just  outside  the  breakers,  half  a  mile  to 
the  westward  of  the  Morro,  keeping  a  bright  lookout  for  the  boat  or  for 
swimmers,  but  saw  nothing.  Hobson  had  arranged  to  meet  us  at  that 
point,  but  thinking  that  some  one  might  have  drifted  out  we  crossed  in 
front  of  Morro  and  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  to  the  eastward.  About  five 
o'clock  we  crossed  the  harbor  again  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  and  stood 
to  the  westward.  In  doing  this  we  saw  one  spar  of  the  Merrimac  stick 
ing  out  of  the  water.  We  hugged  the  shore  just  outside  the  breakers 
for  a  mile,  and  then  turned  toward  the  Texas,  when  the  batteries  saw 
us  and  opened  fire.  It  was  broad  daylight  then.  The  first  shot  fired 
dropped  thirty  yards  astern,  but  the  other  shots  went  wild. 

"  I  drove  the  launch  for  all  she  was  worth,  finally  making  the  New 
York.  The  men  behaved  splendidly." 

A  FEELING  OF  DEPRESSION  ON   BOARD 

All  through  the  day  there  was  a  feeling  of  depression  aboard  the 
fleet,  and  there  were  many  surmises  as  to  the  probable  fate  of  the 
Merrimac's  crew;  but  at  four  o'clock  there  was  a  ripple  of  excitement, 
for  the  call  to  quarters  was  sounded,  a  boat  having  been  sighted 
coming  out  of  the  entrance.  All  glasses  were  trained  upon  it,  and  very 
quickly  it  was  discovered  to  be  a  small  Spanish  gunboat,  carrying  the 
flag  of  truce.  Slowly  it  crept  out  toward  the  middle  of  our  line,  and 
then  hesitated,  evidently  bewildered  as  to  whether  the  New  York  or  the 
Brooklyn  was  the  flagship.  Admiral  Sampson,  noticing  her  uncertainty, 
moved  in  closer  to  the  entrance,  and  in  a  few  minutes  took  her  officer 
aboard.  The  next  few  moments  were  fraught  with  awful  anxiety  for  all 


AN  ESCAPE  22 


on  board  the  other  ships,  and  when  the  Spaniards  were  seen  to  descend 
the  side  of  the  New  York,  and  their  gunboat  steamed  off  toward  shore 
and  still  no  sign  was  made  from  the  flagship,  there  was  many  a  query 
and  supposition  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  visit. 

HOBSON  AND  HIS  MEN   NOT  KILLED 

The  New  York  steamed  back  to  her  place  in  line,  and  then  a  string 
of  tiny  flags  was  seen  creeping  up  her  mast,  which,  as  the  breeze  caught 
them  and  snapped  out  their  multi-colored  folds,  the  signal  officer  of  the 
Brooklyn  read  and  in  an  exultant  tone  announced  that  neither  Hobson 
nor  any  of  his  men  had  been  killed  or  wounded.  The  relief  was  so  great 
that  for  a  moment  there  was  a  complete  silence  as  we  tried  to  grasp  the 
full  import  of  the  signal,  but  suddenly  there  was  a  hurricane  of  cheers 
that  shook  the  very  air,  rising  louder  and  louder  as  the  men's  joy  found 
expression.  Men  fell  on  each  other's  necks  and  hugged  each  other, 
and  many  a  weather-beaten  tar  I  saw  with  tears  streaming  down  his 
face.  On  the  bridge  the  officers  were  most  jubilant,  while  Schley,  his 
face  radiant  with  joy,  exclaimed,  "It  is  wonderful!  Surely  the  day  of 
miracles  is  not  past." 

CARRIED  AS  PRISONERS  TO  MORRO  CASTLE 

Soon  more  detailed  information  was  received  aboard,  and  we 
learned  that  gallant  old  Admiral  Cervera,  being  so  impressed  with  the 
courage  of  the  Merrimac's  crew  that  he  felt  Admiral  Sampson  should 
know  they  had  not  lost  their  lives,  had  accordingly  chivalrously  sent  out 
under  a  flag  of  truce  his  chief-of-staff,  Captain  Ovido.  Captain  Ovido 
said  that  Hobson's  undertaking  was  a  success,  that  the  Merrimac  had 
been  sunk,  and  that  he  and  his  men  had  attempted  to  escape  on  a  cata 
maran  attached  to  the  collier,  its  row  boat  having  been  shot  away. 
While  drifting  about,  however,  they  had  been  picked  up  by  Admiral  Cer- 


228  AN  ESCAPE 

vera  and  his  officers,  taken  prisoners  and  sent  to  Santiago  city  under 
guard,  later  being  placed  in  Morro  Castle.  The  Spanish  officer  courte 
ously  offered  to  carry  any  supplies  to  the  prisoners,  and  so  returned  with 
money,  clothing,  and  provisions  for  Hobson  and  his  men. 

Later  we  learned  that  the  Merrimac's  officer  and  crew  had  been 
confined  in  the  Morro  during  our  first  bombardment  of  the  fort,  and  had 
perhaps  been  in  almost  as  much  danger  from  the  fire  of  their  country 
men's  guns  as  they  had  been  previously  from  those  of  the  Spaniards. 

HOBSON  TELLS  OF  HIS  EXPERIENCES 

It  was  after  the  release  of  Hobson  and  his  men  from  Santiago,  and 
after  he  had  made  his  formal  report  to  Admiral  Sampson,  that  he  talked 
a  little  more  fully  about  his  experiences.  He  was  very  modest  and  did 
not  seem  to  realize  the  wonderful  sensation  his  daring  exploit  had 
created  throughout  the  country.  It  was  with  some  difficulty  he  was  per 
suaded  to  speak  of  himself,  although  he  referred  in  most  glowing  terms 
to  the  intrepidity  of  his  little  crew. 

"We  have  been  thirty-three  days  in  a  Spanish  prison,"  said  Mr. 
Hobson,  "and  the  more  I  think  about  it  the  more  marvelous  it  seems 
that  we  are  alive. 

"It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  Merrimac 
entered  the  narrow  channel  and  steamed  in  under  the  guns  of  Morro 
Castle.  The  stillness  of  death  prevailed.  It  was  so  dark  that  we  could 
scarcely  see  the  headland.  We  had  planned  to  drop  our  starboard 
anchor  at  a  certain  point  to  the  right  of  the  channel,  reverse  our  engines 
and  then  swing  the  Merrimac  around,  sinking  her  directly  across  the 

channel. 

DISCOVERED  BY  SPANISH  PICKET  BOAT 

"This  plan  was  adhered  to,  but  circumstances  rendered  its  execu 
tion  impossible.  When,  the  Merrimac  poked  her  nose  into  the  chan- 


&££ 


AN  ESCAPE  251 

nel,  our  troubles  commenced.  The  deadly  silence  was  broken  by  the 
wash  of  a  small  boat  approaching  us  from  the  shore.  I  made  her  out  to 
be  a  picket  boat. 

"She  ran  close  up  under  the  stern  of  the  Merrimac  and  fired 
several  shots  from  what  seemed  to  be  three-pounders.  The  Merri- 
mac's  rudder  was  carried  away  by  this  fire.  That  is  why  the  collier  was 
not  sunk  across  the  channel. 

"We  did  not  discover  the  loss  of  the  rudder  until  Murphy  cast 
anchor.  We  then  found  that  the  Merrimac  would  not  answer  to  the 
helm,  and  were  compelled  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation. 

SPANISH  FLEET  AND  SHORE  BATTERIES  OPEN  FIRE 

"The  run  up  the  channel  was  very  exciting.  The  picket  boat  had 
given  the  alarm,  and  in  a  moment  the  guns  of  the  Viscaya,  the  Almi- 
rante  Oquendo,  and  of  the  shore  batteries  were  turned  upon  us. 

"Submarine  mines  and  torpedoes  also  were  exploded  all  about  us, 
adding  to  the  excitement.  The  mines  did  no  damage,  although  we  could 
hear  rumbling  and  could  feel  the  ship  tremble. 

"We  were  running  without  lights,  and  only  the  darkness  saved  us 
from  utter  destruction.  When  the  ship  was  in  the  desired  position  and 
we  found  that  the  rudder  was  gone  I  called  the  men  on  deck.  While 
they  were  launching  the  catamaran  I  touched  off  the  explosives. 

"At  the  same  moment  two  torpedoes,  fired  by  the  Reina  Mercedes, 
struck  the  Merrimac  amidships.  I  cannot  say  whether  our  own 
explosives  or  the  Spanish  torpedoes  did  the  work,  but  the  Merrimac 
was  lifted  out  of  the  water  and  almost  rent  asunder. 

SPANISH  THOUGHT  MERRIMAC  WAS  AN   AMERICAN  WARSHIP 

"As  she  settled  down  we  scrambled  overboard  and  cut  away  the 
catamaran.  A  great  cheer  went  up  from  the  forts  and  warships  as  the 


232  AN  ESCAPE 

hold  of  the  collier  foundered,  the  Spaniards  thinking  that  the  Merrimac 
was  an  American  warship. 

"We  attempted  to  get  out  of  the  harbor  in  the  catamaran,  but  a 
strong  tide  was  running,  and  daylight  found  us  still  struggling  in  the 
water.  Then  for  the  first  time  the  Spaniards  saw  us,  and  a  boat  from 
the  Reina  Mercedes  picked  us  up.  It  then  was  shortly  after  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  we  had  been  in  the  water  more  than  an  hour.  We 
were  taken  aboard  the  Reina  Mercedes  and  later  were  sent  to  Morro 
Castle. 

"In  Morro  we  were  confined  in  cells  in  the  inner  side  of  the  fortress, 
and  were  there  the  first  day  the  fleet  bombarded  Morro.  I  could  only 
hear  the  whistling  of  the  shells  and  the  noise  they  made  when  they 
struck,  but  I  judged  from  the  conversation  of  the  guards  that  the  shells 
did  considerable  damage. 

"After  this  bombardment  Mr.  Ramsden,  the  British  consul,  protested, 
and  we  were  removed  to  the  hospital.  There  I  was  separated  from  the 
other  men  in  our  crew,  and  could  see  them  only  by  special  permission. 
Montague  and  Kelly  fell  ill  two  weeks  ago,  suffering  from  malaria,  and 
I  was  permitted  to  visit  them  twice. 

"Mr.  Ramsden  was  very  kind  to  us,  and  demanded  that  Montague 
and  Kelly  be  removed  to  better  quarters  in  the  hospital.  This  was  done. 

"As  for  myself,  there  is  little  to  say.  The  Spanish  were  not  dis 
posed  to  do  much  for  the  comfort  of  any  of  the  prisoners  at  first,  but 
after  our  army  had  taken  some  of  their  men  as  prisoners  our  treatment 
was  better.  Food  is  scarce  in  the  city,  and  I  was  told  that  we  fared 
better  than  the  Spanish  officers." 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  BOMBARDMENT 

A  HALF- NAKED  man,  sticking  his  head  out  of  the  forward  eight- 
inch  gun-turret  on  the  Brooklyn  to  get  a  breath  of  air,  called 
back  to  where  Commodore  Schley  and  I  stood,  as  a  couple  of  big 
shells  whistled  over  our  heads  and  struck  in  the  water  beyond:  "  Funny 
song  they  sing,  sir,"  and  then  disappeared.  The  Commodore  looked 
around  at  me,  and  smilingly  said,  although  in  a  rather  grewsome  way, 
"He'll  never  hear  the  one  that  hits  him  if  he  is  unfortunate  enough  to 
be  hit." 

Five  marines  who  acted  as  messengers  stood  on  the  deck  in  the 
lee  of  the  conning  tower  and  watched  the  Commodore  curiously  as  he 
stood,  glasses  in  hand,  on  the  side  toward  which  the  enemy  was  firing, 
almost  vainly  in  the  dense  smoke  trying  to  get  a  view  of  the  fortifications. 

SERVING  A  BREAKFAST  OF  PROJECTILES 

It  was  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  July  6th,  and  five  days 
after  his  arrival,  when  Admiral  Sampson  was  making  his  first  attempt 
to  reconnoitre  the  batteries  ashore  and  get  an  idea  of  their  value.  The 
fleet,  a  very  large  one  by  the  way,  in  carrying  out  this  intention  was 
serving  up  a  breakfast  of  steel  projectiles  of  various  energies  to  the 
Spaniards  in  their  well-fortified  places  ashore.  We  had  partaken  of  a 
light  repast  ourselves.  The  big  gongs  aboard  ship  had  rung  at  5:30  in 
the  morning,  and  we  of  the  ward  room  mess  had  gathered  in  that  room 

233 


234  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

to  fortify  ourselves  for  the  fight  which  was  to  follow.  Commodore 
Schley  finding  his  cabin  almost  uninhabitable  because  the  wooden 
flooring  was  being  wet  down  to  prevent  it  taking  fire  from  an  enemy's 
shell,  and  the  gunners  controlling  the  two  five-inch  and  two  six-pounder 
guns  whose  breeches  found  a  resting  place  in  the  cabin,  were  wheeling 
in  their  cartridges,  had  come  down  in  our  ward  room  to  take  a  bite. 
The  electric  fixtures  could  not  be  lighted  for  fear  the  enemy  might  find 
a  resting  place  for  a  torpedo,  and  so,  standing  up — the  table  having  been 
removed  to  make  way  for  the  men  at  the  torpedo  tubes — with  a  single 
sputtering  oil  lantern  as  our  only  light,  we  took  our  bites  of  hastily 
prepared  sandwiches  and  drank  our  coffee  from  thick  glasses  or  heavy 
cups,  the  fine  china  having  been  stored  away  to  avoid  damage  by 

concussion. 

MORRO  CASTLE  A  BEAUTIFUL  TARGET 

Yet  the  officers  stood  around  in  a  perfectly  nonchalant  manner, 
joking  and  laughing  over  the  way  we  would  probably  treat  the  Dons. 
The  only  source  of  regret  seemed  to  be  the  fact  that  Morro  Castle,  a 
picturesque,  splendid  old  ruin  and  yet  a  beautiful  target,  could  not  be 
used  as  an  objective  because  the  Spaniards — with  a  sixteenth  century 
refinement  of  cruelty — had  confined  there  Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his 
crew,  as  a  species  of  protection  from  our  bullets.  At  least  this  was  the 
information  Admiral  Sampson  had  received. 

BEFORE  THE  FIGHTING  BEGAN 

As  I  passed  forward  just  before  the  fighting  began,  this  gray,  humid 
morning,  it  was  curious  to  note  the  bearing  of  the  men.  A  five-inch- 
gun  crew  in  an  exposed  place  were  singing  "  There'll  be  a  hot  time  in 
the  old  town  to-night."  A  group  of  men  on  the  forward  eight-inch  turret 
were  discussing  where  the  best  place  to  "get  a  line  on"  was,  and 
everywhere  there  was  jubilation  that  the  ship  was  going  into  action. 


THE  SPANISH  OFFICERS. 

1  Fernando  Villaamil.    2.  John  Antonio  Eulate.    3.  Don  Pedro  Vazquez. 

4.  Don  Emilio  Diaz  Moreu.    5.  Pasquale  Cervera. 

6.  Don  Diego  Carlier.    7.  Don  Victor  Concas. 

8.  Don  Juan  Bautista  Lazaga. 

(xxxix) 


THE  BOMBARDMENT  237 

When  the  bugle  blew  for  starboard  guns  to  prepare,  there  was  a  growl 
of  disgust  from  the  men  on  the  port  side,  and  when  Lieutenant-Com 
mander  Mason  ordered  the  men  at  the  one-pounder  and  Colt  rapid-fire 
guns  to  get  out  of  their  exposed  positions  there  was  almost  rebellion. 
So  these  men  hung  about  on  the  decks,  and  watched  the  effects  of  the 
gunnery  of  the  American  ships.  They  would  cheer  well-placed  shells 
and  laugh  uproariously  or  jeer  when  a  shell  from  the  forts  went  over 
their  heads  or  struck  short.  This  lack  of  fear  is  a  curious  thing  in  battle. 

ADMIRAL  SAMPSON'S  PLAN  AN  INTERESTING  ONE 

Admiral  Sampson's  plan  of  fight  that  morning  was  an  interesting 
one  and  evidently,  if  such  things  can  be  pre-judged,  an  effective  one. 
The  vessels  standing  out  six  miles  from  the  fortifications  were  to  move 
in  in  two  columns  directly  toward  the  entrance.  To  the  west  were  the 
Brooklyn,  the  Marblehead,  the  Texas,  and  the  Massachusetts.  To  the 
east  were  the  New  York,  the  Yankee,  the  New  Orleans,  the  Iowa,  and 
the  Oregon.  As  flanking  vessels  enfilading  from  each  side  were  the 
Vixen,  the  Suwanee,  the  Dolphin,  and  the  Porter.  The  ships  moved 
in  to  a  range  of  about  3,500  yards  and  at  7:41  o'clock  the  Iowa  fired 
the  first  shot.  Commodore  Schley  stood  on  the  bridge  of  the  Brooklyn 
and  watched  one  of  the  eight-inch  turret  guns  fire  the  next  shot,  but  the 
smoke  rising  very  thickly  from  the  forward  guns,  he  went  down  on  the 
forward  deck  and  stood  on  the  side  of  the  conning  tower  exposed  to  the 
enemy  during  the  remainder  of  the  bombardment. 

SPANISH  INSTANTLY  RETURN  THE  FIRE 

The  enemy  had  instantly  returned  the  first  shots  fired,  and  we  were 
filled  with  amazement  when  we  noticed  that  in  their  endeavor  to  use 
muzzle-loading  guns,  although  every  ship  in  this  large  squadron  was 
firing  at  them,  they  had  the  temerity  and  the  heroism  to  get  up  on  the 


238  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

parapets  of  their  earthworks  and  load  the  cannon.  Commodore  Schley 
standing  and  watching  them  through  his  glasses,  acted  like  a  great  boy 
over  it.  As  a  big  shell  from  the  Texas  fell  under  the  parapet  of 
La  Socapa  and  lifted  earth,  debris,  and  men  up  in  a  swirling  heap,  he 
pointed  enthusiastically  toward  them  and  exclaimed,  'Those  fellows 
have  got  sand.  They  have  the  proper  spirit." 

For  three-quarters  of  an  hour  this  fleet  of  thirteen  vessels  fired 
almost  continuously  at  the  earthworks,  but  with  the  exception  of  a 
couple  of  good  shots  from  the  Texas,  seemed  to  do  very  little  harm. 
This  was  not  very  surprising  considering  that  we  did  not  know  the  exact 
height  of  the  Morro,  and  that  we  were  firing  at  earthworks  about  210 
feet  high,  such  an  angle  of  elevation  for  shells  to  reach  that  frequently, 
even  if  the  shell  struck  the  parapet,  because  of  the  angle  at  which  it 
was  moving  there  was  behind  that  parapet  a  line  of  safety  of  fully  500 
yards. 

EARTHWORKS  WERE  BEAUTIFULLY  CONSTRUCTED 

These  earthworks,  as  we  afterward  discovered,  were  beautifully 
constructed,  the  base  being  formed  of  barrels  of  cement  which  had  been 
wet  down  and,  therefore,  solidified,  faced  with  many  feet  of  sand  toward 
the  water  side,  and  in  a  number  of  places  sodded,  so  that  the  missiles, 
being  base  contact  shells,  would  eight  cases  out  of  ten  slide  up  the  hill 
side  and,  losing  their  momentum,  fail  to  explode. 

At  8:22  Admiral  Sampson  ordered  the  fleet  to  cease  firing,  and 
immediately  following  came  the  further  order,  "Move  in  a  little  closer." 
We  moved  in  to  3,000  yards  and  at  8:30  o'clock  opened  fire  again. 
Almost  the  first  shot  fired  by  Captain  Clark's  ship — the  Oregon — struck 
a  blockhouse  on  a  western  hill  and  set  fire  to  it.  The  battery  on  the 
west  at  about  the  same  time  ceased  firing  and  the  battery  on  the  east 
simply  kept  up  a  spasmodic  sort  of  answer  at  very  great  intervals. 

At  ten  minutes  after  nine  Commodore  Schley,  being  notified  by 


THE  BOMBARDMENT  239 

Captain  Cook  that  the  ship  not  being  under  way  had  swung  around  so 
that  her  port  batteries  were  coming  into  play,  ordered  the  helm  star 
boarded,  and  the  bugle  sounded  for  port  batteries  to  open  fire.  It  was 
an  inspiring  sight  to  see  the  men  on  the  port  side,  who  had  been  unable 
so  far  to  take  part  in  the  combat,  rush  to  their  guns  with  a  cheer,  eager 
to  show  their  ability,  and  it  was  equally  as  encouraging  to  hear  Com 
modore  Schley  say,  as  he  watched  them,  "They  are  the  bullies  who  will 
settle  the  fate  of  the  Spanish  fleet." 

EXPENDED  $25,000  WORTH  OF  AMMUNITION 

After  twenty-four  minutes  of  firing  the  Massachusetts  signaled  that 
so  far  as  she  could  see  we  were  wasting  ammunition  by  firing  any  longer, 
because  the  batteries  were  apparently  silenced,  and  at  10:05  the  fleet 
withdrew.  During  this  bombardment  there  had  hardly  been  anything  in 
the  fleet  that  might  be  called  even  an  incident.  A  small  projectile  had 
shortened  the  military  mast  of  the  Massachusetts,  and  a  shell  from  a 
mortar  had  exploded  harmlessly  over  the  Suwanee.  There  were  indi 
cations  that  the  Texas  had  landed  a  couple  of  shots  that  might  have 
injured  the  batteries,  but  with  the  aid  of  the  glasses  we  could  discover 
no  serious  embrasures,  although  we  had  expended  $25,000  worth  of 
ammunition,  and  no  more  information  was  obtained  than  that  which 
Commodore  Schley  had  secured  on  May  31st. 

VERY  LITTLE  DAMAGE  DONE 

Some  insurgents  who  came  aboard  that  night  informed  me  that  we 
had  killed  over  300  Spaniards,  but  this,  like  all  other  information  obtained 
from  the  Cubans,  was  absolutely  unreliable,  as  it  was  proven  later  that 
two  or  three  deaths  were  the  extent  of  damage  by  our  fire  that  day. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  these  bombardments  appeared  to 
have  little  visible  outward  effect,  Admiral  Sampson  continued  them  at 


240  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

intervals  of  four  or  five  days  with  the  evident  admirable  purpose  of  keep 
ing  the  enemy  apprised  of  the  fact  that  we  had  plenty  of  ammunition 
and  that  our  gunnery  was  fairly  accurate.  Indeed,  we  had  taken  ammu 
nition  from  ships  sent  down  with  that  commodity,  and  these  bombard 
ments  kept  the  Spaniards  from  attempting  to  fortify  in  any  new  particulars, 
and  also  forbade  them  resurrecting  the  Merrimac,  from  the  wreck  of 
which  they  might  have  obtained  many  tons  of  coal. 

THE  TEXAS  DOES  GOOD  WORK 

Sometimes  we  knew  that  we  had  killed  men  on  the  batteries, 
because  when  we  had  finished  bombarding  and  had  moved  out,  we  would 
see  the  vultures  circling  round  and  swooping  down  to  the  places  where 
they  could  smell  the  blood  of  our  enemies.  One  day,  in  fact,  we  saw  an 
officer,  sword  in  hand,  running  along  the  parapet  of  La  Socapa,  evidently 
urging  his  men  to  get  up  on  the  earthworks  and  load  the  muzzle-loading 
pieces.  Finally,  we  could  see  six  or  eight  of  them  like  ants  crawling 
about  the  mouths  of  the  old  cannon,  and  evidently  cleaning  and  loading 
them.  Suddenly  the  Texas  let  fly  a  twelve-inch  shell,  and  it  struck  the 
earth  just  below  the  busy  Spaniards,  almost  on  the  crest  of  the  embank 
ment,  and  took  that  crest  with  its  human  freight  up  in  the  air  like  so 
many  atoms,  as  it  exploded.  The  cloud  of  dust  settled,  but  we  saw  no 
human  activity.  A  little  later,  however,  when  we  moved  out  to  our 
position  in  line  we  saw  the  flag  go  at  half  mast. 

Just  to  the  east  of  the  Morro  there  was  quite  a  modern  lighthouse, 
thirty  or  forty  feet  high,  and  there  is  a  sort  of  international  agreement 
that  forbids  the  destruction  of  lighthouses;  but  during  one  of  the  bom 
bardments  an  eight-inch  shell  struck  this  lighthouse,  undoubtedly 
accidentally,  and  took  one-half  of  it  away,  riddling  the  remainder  with 
pieces  of  the  exploded  shell. 

In  all,  between  the  time  that  Admiral  Sampson  arrived  and  the  day 


* '  V 


GIFTS  PRESENTED  TO  ADMIRAL  SCHLEY. 
(xl) 


THE  BOMBARDMENT  248 

the  decisive  battle  of  Santiago  was  fought,  there  were  five  bombard 
ments  by  the  fleet  and  one  or  two  smaller  movements,  such  as  the 
demonstration  at  Guantanamo  when  the  marines  landed,  at  Daiquiri 
when  the  troops  landed,  and  at  Altares  and  Aguadores  where  there  were 
small  fortifications. 

SHOT  FROM  OREGON  CARRIES  AWAY  SPANISH  FLAG 

One  of  the  bombardments  was  particularly  interesting  because 
while  the  fleet  had  been  ordered  by  Admiral  Sampson  not  to  fire  at  the 
Morro,  where  it  was  supposed  Hobson  and  his  men  were  confined, 
Captain  Clark's  beautiful  Oregon  took  a  pot  shot  at  it  one  day  and 
knocked  the  Spanish  flag  down.  It  was  a  particularly  pretty  sight.  The 
protected  cruisers,  the  New  York  and  the  Brooklyn,  and  the  battleship 
Iowa,  which  had  some  trouble  with  her  big  guns,  moved  out  of  the  line, 
while  the  Oregon,  Indiana,  and  Texas  moved  in.  The  fort  on  the  west 
side  opened  fire  on  them,  and  while  the  little  Texas  vigorously  replied 
to  it  the  Oregon  suddenly  fired  a  thirteen-inch  shell,  which  struck  full  on 
the  parapet,  just  below  the  flag,  demolishing  the  corner  and  bringing  the 
Spanish  red  and  yellow  down  in  the  debris. 

One  day  the  Commander-in-Chief  moved  down  to  a  little  bay  called 
Aguadores,  where  a  stone  fort  commanded  a  railroad  trestle,  and 
for  a  few  minutes  two  or  three  of  the  big  ships  bombarded  this  place, 
finally  silencing  it.  But  to  the  disgust  of  everybody,  the  Spanish  red 
and  yellow  still  flew  from  the  flagstaff.  Lieutenant-Commander  Daniel 
Delehanty,  in  charge  of  the  converted  lighthouse  tender  Suwanee, 
signaled  to  Admiral  Sampson  and  asked  permission  to  knock  down  the 
Spanish  flag.  His  boat  wasn't  bigger  than  "a  pint  of  cider,"  but  it  flew 
an  enormous  flag  and  carried  on  its  bow  a  four-inch  gun.  To  his  query 
Admiral  Sampson  answered,  noticing  the  distance  at  which  he  was 
lying  from  the  fort,  "Yes,  if  you  can  do  it  in  three  shots." 

The  Suwanee  was  moved  in  to  about  1,600  yards  and  Lieutenant 


244  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

Blue,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  gun,  and  Lieutenant-Commander  Dele- 
hanty  took  their  time  and  with  great  care  prepared  for  their  shots. 

The  crews  of  the  ships  gathered  to  watch  the  incident  amid  intense 
excitement.  When  the  smoke  of  the  Suwanee's  first  shot  cleared  away 
only  two  red  streamers  of  the  flag  were  left.  The  shell  had  gone 
through  the  center  of  the  bunting.  A  delighted  yell  broke  from  the  crew 
of  the  Suwanee. 

Two  or  three  minutes  later  the  Suwanee  fired  again  and  a  huge 
cloud  of  debris  rose  from  the  base  of  the  flagstaff.  For  a  few  seconds 
it  was  impossible  to  tell  what  the  effect  of  the  shot  had  been.  Then  it 
was  seen  that  the  shell  had  but  added  to  the  ruin  of  the  fort.  The  flag 
staff  seemed  to  have  a  charmed  existence,  and  the  Suwanee  had  only 
one  chance  left.  It  seemed  hardly  possible  for  her  to  achieve  her 
object  with  the  big  gun,  such  a  distance  and  such  a  tiny  target. 

SUSPENSE  AMONG  THE  WATCHING  CREWS 

There  was  breathless  silence  among  the  watching  crews.  They 
crowded  on  the  ships'  decks  and  all  eyes  were  on  the  tattered  rag, 
bending  toward  the  earth,  but  only  bending,  not  yet  down. 

Lieutenant-Commander  Delehanty  took  his  time.  The  Suwanee 
changed  her  position  slightly.  Then  a  puff  of  smoke  shot  out  from  her 
side,  up  went  a  spouting  cloud  of  debris  from  the  parapet  and  down 
went  the  banner  of  Spain  amid  the  dust.  The  Suwanee's  last  shot  had 
struck  right  at  the  base  of  the  flagstaff  and  had  blown  it  clear  of  the 
wreckage  which  had  held  it  from  finishing  its  fall.  ''Well  done,"  sig 
naled  Admiral  Sampson  to  Lieutenant-Commander  Delehanty,  and  the 
little  ship  with  its  doughty  commander  moved  up  the  line  amidst  the 
cheers  of  the  rest  of  the  fleet 

It  is  a  curious  thing  that  in  all  the  bombardments,  watching  the  men 
closely,  there  was  no  indication  that  they  had  any  fear  whatever  of  the 


THE  BOMBARDMENT  245 

effects  of  Spanish  gunnery.     The  effect  of  a  bombardment  is  peculiarly 
exhilarating. 

True,  everybody  has  a  curious  sensation  as  the  first  few  shells  of 
the  enemy  whistle  overhead,  and  when  one  strikes,  with  its  frightful 
explosion,  you  look  around  anxiously  for  an  instant.  If  the  smoke  is 
cleared  from  your  ship  you  will  see  a  puff  of  smoke  from  a  battery 
ashore.  Then,  just  as  you  have  forgotten  the  smoke,  about  three  sec 
onds  later,  you  hear  a  sound  like  a  swarm  of  bees  humming  over  your 
head.  Pretty  soon  the  shells  begin  to  come  faster  and  faster.  They 
drop  in  the  water  on  both  sides  of  you.  One  hits  the  military  mast,  and 
the  debris  of  steel  and  rope  and  wood  comes  tumbling  about  you.  You 
look  up  wonderingly,  but  give  it  merely  an  instant's  thought.  Then 
your  mind  reverts  to  the  terrible  roar  of  your  own  guns,  and  then  comes 
the  single  idea  of  keeping  outside  the  radius  of  fire,  not  of  the  enemy's 
guns,  but  those  on  your  own  ship,  equally  dangerous  to  your  safety,  the 
preservation  of  your  ear-drums  and  your  life. 

PERIL  FORGOTTEN  WHILE  UNDER  FIRE 

I  stood  by  Commodore  Schley's  side,  with  Flag-Lieutenant  Sears, 
during  the  first  two  bombardments  of  Santiago,  and  we  all  found  our 
selves  absolutely  forgetful  of  peril,  watching  the  shots  from  different 
turrets  and  telling  the  gunners  whether  to  depress  or  raise  the  muzzle 
of  the  gun.  We  kept  accurately  the  times  of  all  movements,  of  opening 
fire,  of  good  shots,  of  silenced  batteries,  and  of  "cease  firing."  The 
balls  whistled  about  with  a  nasty  whine,  as  if  they  deplored  not  being 
able  to  hit  us,  but  half  the  time  the  roar  of  the  fusilade  of  our  own  ships 
drowned  the  complaint  of  the  enemy's  missiles.  You  experienced  at 
first  a  strange  feeling  of  enjoyment  not  unmixed  with  terror.  Then  you 
grew  animated  and  discovered  a  peculiar  sort  of  charm  in  the  danger  and 
in  the  game  of  life  or  death.  You  found  yourself  hoping  the  shells 


246  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

would  strike  closer  to  you.  You  looked  around  at  the  careless,  laughing, 
enthusiastic  men,  and  believed,  with  Tolstoi,  that  "consciousness  is 
annihilated.  At  the  bottom  of  each  soul  there  lies  that  noble  spark 
which  makes  of  each  man  a  hero ;  but  this  spark  wearies  of  burning 
clearly,  and  when  the  fateful  moment  comes,  it  flashes  up  into  a  flame 
and  illuminates  great  deeds." 

LIEUTENANT  SEARS  IN  FIGHTING  CLOTHES 

During  the  second  engagement,  while  a  hot  fire  was  being  poured 
at  the  Brooklyn,  which  seemed  to  be  the  target  for  the  Spanish,  Flag- 
Lieutenant  Sears,  who  had  gone  into  battle  in  white  clothes,  which  by 
reason  of  the  rain  became  very  much  bedraggled,  said:  "  My  wife  wants 
a  picture  of  me  in  fighting  clothes.  Will  you  take  one?"  and  when  I 
assented  he  stood  up  in  photographic  pose,  and  I  "snapped"  him.  A 
shell  exploding  just  then  might  have  ruined  the  picture. 

During  all  these  bombardments  but  one  accident  occurred  to  the 
American  fleet,  for  pure  accident  it  seemed  to  be  that  a  Spanish  shell 
should  hit  one  of  our  vessels.  On  Wednesday,  the  22d  of  June,  when 
the  Texas  was  enfilading  the  western  battery,  a  shell  from  a  six-inch 
gun  on  the  La  Socapa  battery  entered  her  gun  deck,  sped  between  two 
gun  crews  who  were  firing,  struck  and  cut  in  two  a  four-inch  stanchion 
supporting  her  deck,  and  then  exploded,  killing  one  man  and  wounding 
eight  on  the  side  opposite  from  that  on  which  she  was  firing,  men  who 
were  practically  not  in  the  fight. 

$2,000,000  EXPENDED  IN  WORTHLESS  BOMBARDMENTS 

During  the  five  bombardments  the  fleet  expended  over  $2,000,000 
worth  of  ammunition,  absolutely  harmless  in  its  effect  so  far  as  the  reduc 
tion  of  the  batteries  was  concerned,  although  it  may  have  given  the 
Spaniards  a  wholesome  respect  for  our  marksmanship  and  our  plenitude 
of  ammunition. 


THE  BOMBARDMENT  249 

Commodore  Schley,  in  company  with  several  officers,  visited  the 
fortifications,  making  a  two  days'  survey  of  them  just  after  the  surrender, 
and  found  that  they  were  perfectly  habitable  despite  the  fierce  bombard 
ments  of  the  American  fleet. 

Landing  at  the  foot  of  the  Morro  the  party  made  the  210  feet  of 
ascent  with  some  difficulty.  The  path  was  strewn  with  ammunition, 
boxes  containing  thousands  of  Mauser  rifles  lying  all  about.  At  the  foot 
of  the  hill  to  the  rear  of  the  Morro  where  the  path  of  ascent  began,  was 
a  well-built  and  equipped  electric  station  from  which  to  set  off  the  mines 
in  the  harbor  entrance.  Concealed  partially  behind  a  bluff  the  operator 
in  this  house  got  a  clear  look  at  the  angle  on  which  the  mines  controlled 
by  his  key  lay.  Near  him  were  telephones  connecting  with  a  similar 
house  on  the  opposite  shore.  When  a  ship  crossed  his  line  of  vision 
he  pressed  down  a  button  that  connected  with  the  mine,  but  it  did  not 
explode.  When,  however,  it  crossed  the  vision  of  the  man  opposite  he 
pressed  the  other  connecting  the  circuit  and  a  ship  on  the  angle  of  these 
two  sights  received  the  bombs.  Lieutenant-Commander  Delehanty  was 
removing  the  electrical  mines  and  their  location  proved  that  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  the  fleet  to  enter  the  harbor  without  losing 
some  ships.  Lieutenant-Commander  Delehanty  said  that  the  electrical 
mines  contained  200  pounds  of  gun-cotton  or  more  than  four  times  the 
ordinary  amount. 

AMERICAN  NAVAL  OFFICERS  INSPECT  SHORE  BATTERIES 

Arriving  on  the  hilltop  the  party  proceeded  at  once  to  the  eastern 
battery,  where  a  great  surprise  awaited  them.  There  was  the  battery, 
close  to  the  Morro,  which  the  commander  of  the  Suwanee  had  reported 
to  Admiral  Sampson  as  containing  several  very  dangerous  and  large 
modern  guns  and  against  which  Admiral  Sampson  had  four  times 
massed  the  flower  of  the  fleet,  the  New  York,  Oregon,  Iowa,  Scorpion, 
Massachusetts,  and  Gloucester,  and  sometimes  the  Indiana.  In  rudely 

12 


250  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

constructed  earthworks  but  with  excellent  and  deep  run-ways  for  the 
gunners  to  bring  ammunition,  or  seek  for  shelter,  were  four  muzzle- 
loading  bronze  cannon  and  two  cast-iron  eight-inch  mortars.  They  were 
brave  men  who  stood  upon  the  parapets  to  load  these  cannon  and 
mortars,  and  under  a  heavy  fire  it  is  not  wonderful  that  they  did  not 
answer  with  much  celerity.  The  cannons  were  very  handsome  old 
pieces,  cast  in  1 737  and  named  after  prominent  Spaniards.  The  mortars 
were  dated  1895  and  were  cast  at  Havana.  They  had  no  sighting 
arrangement  and  pointed  only  in  one  direction,  so  that  unless  a  ship 
entered  their  zone  they  were  not  dangerous.  There  were  two  little  three- 
pounders,  field-pieces,  but  they  were  evidently  brought  to  repel  an 
expected  land  invasion.  On  the  Morro  itself  were  two  bronze  cannons 
of  the  same  make  and  several  old-fashioned  small  mortars.  There  were 
plenty  of  explosives  but  of  the  old-fashioned  kind,  the  bombs  having 
wooden  plugs  and  time  fuses. 

LITTLE  DAMAGE  DONE  HERE  BY  BOMBARDMENT 

Although  our  fleet  had  bombarded  this  place  four  times,  and  the 
New  Orleans  once,  there  was  little  damage  done  except  the  dismount 
ing  of  an  old  gun,  the  destruction  of  the  lighthouse  and  a  small  frame 
house  near.  The  shells  landed  between  the  house  and  the  lighthouse 
and  tore  up  a  great  hole,  completely  demolished  the  house,  leaving  but 
a  pile  of  debris,  and  tore  out  the  side  of  the  lighthouse.  The  gun  near 
by  had  evidently  been  wrecked  by  the  concussion.  Large  quantities  of 
broken  American  shells  could  be  found  about  and  quite  a  number  of 
big  shells  that  had  not  exploded  were  gathered  up  and  grouped  together 
by  the  Spaniards.  The  majority  of  the  shells  landed  in  the  earthworks 
just  below  the  crest  of  the  hill,  showing  that  the  Americans  fired  well, 
but  outside  of  ploughing  up  the  earth,  there  was  no  result.  When  the 
projectiles  hit  any  buildings  they  created  great  havoc,  and  traces  of 


THE  BOMBARDMENT  251 

many  were  visible  on  the  Morro  and  some  of  the  officers'  quarters, 
where  immense  gaping  holes  were  torn  in  the  stone  work.  The  draw 
bridge  was  shot  away  and  one  tower  was  crumbling  to  pieces  from  the 
effects  of  a  thirteen-inch  shell  from  the  Oregon. 

Coming  down  from  Morro,  which  at  the  best  is  a  tumbling,  dirty 
ruin,  with  no  touch  of  the  modern  upon  it,  the  party  stopped  at  the 
Estrella  and  Catalina  batteries  which  had  been  visible  just  inside  Morro 
point  on  the  east.  It  was  discovered  that  Catalina  was  a  decaying  ruin 
without  a  gun,  and  that  Estrella,  an  old-time  brick  fort,  had  but  two 
mortars,  only  one  of  which  was  fully  in  place.  A  large  amount  of 
ammunition,  however,  filled  a  house  in  this  battery.  A  large  shell  had 
struck  the  rock  just  above  the  place  and  knocked  down  a  big  section 
that  almost  filled  the  magazine  and  otherwise  wrecked  the  building. 

INSPECTION  OF  THE  WESTERN  BATTERY 

The  second  day  was  devoted  to  an  inspection  of  the  western  bat 
tery,  which  had  mainly  been  attended  to  by  the  Brooklyn,  Texas,  and 
Vixen.  While  these  ships  did  no  more  damage  to  the  earthworks  on 
the  west  than  did  the  other  ships  on  the  east,  it  was  quite  apparent 
where  the  vigorous  answers  came  from,  one  of  which  hit  and  killed  a 
man  on  the  Texas  and  wounded  many  and  kept  up  a  fusilade  against 
the  Brooklyn.  The  earthworks  on  this  battery  were  very  similar  to 
those  on  the  east,  but  there  were  two  six-inch  and  four  ten-inch  Hon- 
toria  rifles  with  breech-loading  mechanism  and  steel  shields.  These 
guns  were  quick-fire  and  easily  trained  and  very  formidable.  They  were 
supposed  to  be  part  of  the  main  battery  of  the  Reina  Mercedes.  There 
were  also  two  large  mortars  similar  to  those  on  the  eastern  battery. 
There  were  over  300  rounds  of  ammunition  for  modern  guns.  Just 
below  this  battery  on  the  hillside  was  a  twelve-pounder  rapid-fire  gun 
with  plenty  of  ammunition  for  it.  Punta  Gorda,  directly  to  the  north  of 


252  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

this  battery,  had  two  large  ship  guns,  which,  in  addition  to  firing  into  the 
harbor,  could  fire  directly  over  the  western  battery  at  the  ships. 

Going  down  the  side  of  the  hill  toward  the  bay,  a  newly-made  ceme 
tery  was  found,  enclosed  in  a  barbed  wire  fence  and  with  a  dozen  or 
more  newly-made  graves  in  it,  surmounted  by  a  large,  black  wooden 
cross.  The  graves  were  evidently  those  of  sailors  killed  during  bom 
bardment. 


ADMIRAL  GEORGE  DEWEY 
(xlii) 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  BLOCKADE 

THAT  Admiral  Sampson  appreciated  very  directly  the  extreme 
difficulty  of  coaling  at  sea,  which  had  confronted  Commodore 
Schley,  was  evinced  by  the  fact  that,  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  until 
June  10th — during  which  time  his  fleet  had  a  plenitude  of  coal — he 
made  strenuous  endeavors  to  find  a  place  in  a  sheltered  bay  where  the 
ships  could,  without  opposition,  replenish  their  bunkers.  On  the  7th  of 
June  he  sent  the  Marblehead  to  Guantanamo,  forty  miles  to  the  east, 
to  see  if  she  could  find  a  place  in  the  harbor  for  the  ships.  She  ran 
in  the  bay  and  was  shot  at  by  a  Spanish  gunboat  which  she  chased 
up  stream. 

AMMUNITION  SENT  TO  THE  INSURGENTS 

In  the  meantime  30,000  rounds  of  ammunition  had  been  sent  to 
the  insurgents  ashore,  and  this,  it  was  supposed,  would  enable  the 
Cubans  to  assist  us  in  obtaining  landing  places.  On  the  1  Oth  the  con 
verted  boat  Panther  arrived  with  600  marines  and  joined  the  fleet  off 
Santiago.  That  night  there  were  two  incidents  that  were  almost  turned 
into  accidents.  The  Scorpion  saw  the  Yankee,  another  of  the  converted 
Morgan  liners,  come  through  the  line,  and  signaled  her.  She  did  not 
answer  the  signal,  and  the  Scorpion  fired  upon  her.  A  little  later,  while 
the  Scorpion  was  scouting  around  the  line,  she  was  run  into  by  the 
Panther  and  there  was  a  great  deal  of  excitement,  but  luckily  neither 
incident  proved  an  accident. 

255 


256  THE  BLOCKADE 

THE  MARINES  ENGAGE  IN  A  SKIRMISH 

On  the  afternoon  of  June  10th  Admiral  Sampson  ordered  the 
Panther  to  Guantanamo  in  company  with  the  Texas  and  the  Marble- 
head,  with  an  order  to  land  her  marines  and  take  possession  of  the 
place,  so  that  the  warships  could  coal  there.  The  transport  arrived 
there  late  that  night  and  succeeded  in  putting  the  marines  ashore.  On 
the  afternoon  of  the  1 1th,  however,  just  as  the  marines  had  established 
a  camp  and  while  a  majority  of  them,  fatigued  and  heated  from  the 
day's  work,  were  bathing  in  the  surf,  they  were  attacked  by  3,000 
Spaniards.  It  was  an  exciting  and  terrible  scene.  The  majority  of  the 
marines  were  in  the  water,  and,  hearing  the  splash  of  the  bullets  around 
them,  supposed  at  first  that  their  own  men  were  engaged  in  target  prac 
tice.  But  almost  in  an  instant  they  were  undeceived,  and  rushing  up  to 
their  tents  and  grasping  their  rifles,  they  found  themselves  in  a  nearly 
hand-to-hand  conflict  with  the  Dons,  and  the  odds  five  to  one  against 
them.  The  Marblehead  and  the  Texas  saw  the  attack  and  promptly 
opened  with  their  rapid-fire  guns.  The  result  was  that  the  Spaniards 
were  repulsed  with  heavy  loss,  killing  sixty-eight  of  the  men;  while 
only  one  officer  and  three  men  of  the  Marine  Corps  were  killed.  They 
were  Dr.  John  Blair  Gibbs,  of  New  York ;  Sergeant  Charles  H.  Smith, 
of  Maryland,  and  Privates  William  Dunphy  and  James  McColgan,  of 
Massachusetts.  Several  others  were  wounded,  but  in  the  face  of  great 
difficulties,  with  the  enemy  doing  bushwhacking  fighting,  the  very 
superior  force  of  the  Spaniards  was  routed.  A  great  deal  of  aid  was 
given  to  the  American  marines  by  the  marines  on  the  Marblehead, 
commanded  by  Captain  McCalla.  These  marines  went  ashore  and 
assisted  those  from  the  Panther  in  making  their  fight. 

On  Sunday,  June  12th,  a  detachment  of  Spanish  troops  marched 
over  across  country  to  a  bluff  just  opposite  Camp  McCalla  and  opened 
fire  on  the  marines  and  on  the  vessels  in  the  bay.  The  Texas  moved 


THE  BLOCKADE  257 

up  into  the  harbor  and  fired  a  few  explosive  shells  among  them,  which 
soon  drove  them  away.  The  Texas  returned  to  the  fleet  and  notified 
Admiral  Sampson  of  the  menace  which  this  Guantanamo  fort  presented, 
and  she  was  ordered  to  immediately  return,  together  with  the  Suwanee, 
and  destroy  the  fort  and,  if  possible,  the  Spanish  gunboats  in  the  harbor. 
Captain  Jack  Philip  went  down,  and  taking  command  of  an  expedition 
composed  of  the  Texas,  the  Marblehead,  and  the  Suwanee,  cleaned  the 
place  out — the  Suwanee  practically  going  in  to  a  hand-to-hand  conflict 
with  the  troops  ashore  and  driving  the  gunners  away  from  their  cannon. 
During  the  engagement,  while  forcing  the  entrance,  the  Texas  and 
the  Marblehead  each  picked  up  in  their  propellers  mines  loaded  with 
gun-cotton,  but  fortunately  neither  exploded  and,  like  Dewey's  vessels 
in  Manila  bay,  the  ships  escaped  any  damage  by  torpedoes. 

INTERESTING  INCIDENTS  OF  THE  BLOCKADE 

The  other  incidents  which  varied  the  monotony  of  our  five  weeks' 
blockade  of  the  harbor  of  Santiago,  besides  this  locating  of  the  coaling 
place  and  the  landing  of  the  marines,  were  the  landing  of  the  troops  at 
Daiquiri,  with  an  accompanying  demonstration  at  Juragua,  and  the 
sending  of  the  coaling  ships  to  a  place  a  few  miles  west  of  the  entrance 
of  Santiago,  as  if  they  were  seeking  a  landing  place. 

Prior  to  these  movements  the  Cuban  pilot,  sent  by  Commodore 
Schley  to  investigate  the  position  of  the  Spanish  ships  in  the  harbor, 
had  returned  and  had  been  sent  to  Admiral  Sampson  to  report  that  the 
Spanish  squadron,  almost  in  its  entirety,  the  torpedo  boat  Terror  having 
been  detached,  was  in  the  harbor  of  Santiago!  Jrle  brought  with  him  a 
map  drawn  by  a  Cuban  spy  in  the  city  of  Santiago,  and  giving  the  posi 
tion  of  each  Spanish  vessel. 

The  troops  had  arrived  on  the  morning  of  June  20th,  and  we  had 
seen  the  transports  come  along  by  the  squadron  at  an  early  hour  in 
charge  of  the  battleship  Indiana, 


258  THE  BLOCKADE 

On  June  19th,  in  anticipation  of  the  arrival  of  these  same  troops, 
it  was  decided  by  Admiral  Sampson  and  Commodore  Schley  that  there 
should  be  communication  with  General  Garcia,  who  was  supposed  to  be 
some  thirty  miles  to  the  west  of  Santiago  with  his  army,  asking  him  if 
he  did  not  desire  to  come  to  the  east  and  form  a  junction  of  forces  with 
the  American  troops  when  they  landed.  On  the  morning  of  the  1 9th 
the  Vixen  was  dispatched  to  Asserredoros,  a  point  seventeen  miles  west 
of  Santiago,  carrying  Sampson's  chief-of-staff  and  me.  Commodore 
Schley  had  agreed  that  I  should  be  his  personal  representative  in  the 
matter  and  Lieutenant-Commander  Sharpe,  of  the  Vixen,  had  volun 
teered  to  take  me. 

IN  THE  CUBAN  CAMP 

We  went  up  to  camp  early  in  the  morning,  the  expedition  returning 
in  the  afternoon  because  of  the  fact  that  General  Garcia  had  not  yet 
arrived,  although  we  had  a  very  pleasant  visit  with  General  Jesus  Rabi. 
I  preferred  not  to  return  with  the  expedition,  but  stayed  over  night  in 
Rabi's  camp,  having  been  assured  by  the  officers  under  him  that  I 
would  be  perfectly  safe  after  they  had  taken  in  their  personal  care  all  of 
my  valuables.  I  saw  nothing  particularly  harrowing,  except  that  my 
innate  modesty  was  somewhat  shocked  at  a  comparative  nudity  that  did 
not  seem  to  worry  the  native.  I  was  out  on  the  picket-line  and  saw 
Spanish  soldiers  very  closely,  but  they  did  not  fire.  The  country  was 
not  picturesque,  nor  were  the  camps,  except  the  palm-thatched  retreats 
of  the  officers.  Everything  was  dirty.  Enterprising  American  soap 
manufacturers  could  have  obtained  splendid  advertisements  by  cleaning 
the  Cuban  army — officers  and  men  alike — and  having  pictures  of 
"before  and  after"  used  as  illustrations. 

There  were  no  beautiful  sunsets  or  brilliant  sunrises  while  I  was  off 
Cuba.  It  is  a  peculiar  feature  of  the  Cuban  landscape  that  night  suc 
ceeds  day  without  any  picturesque  displays  of  color,  and  so  suddenly 


THE  BROOKLYN  FIRE-ROOM 
(xliii) 


THE  BLOCKADE  261 

that  there  is  nothing  that  can  be  called  twilight.  In  the  same  way  the 
sun  comes  up  in  the  morning  with  a  shoot,  and  by  the  time  you  get  it 
through  your  head  that  the  sun  is  up  you  also  discover  that  it  is  red  hot. 
Everything  is  absolutely  monotonous,  and  you  long  for  the  changes  in 
atmosphere  and  color  and  temperature  that  come  with  varied  life  in  the 
North.  The  only  bits  of  color  I  saw  were  on  a  couple  of  nasty  chatter 
ing  paroquets  who  woke  me  early  the  morning  I  was  at  the  insurgents' 
camp. 

GARCIA  A  SPLENDID  SPECIMEN  OF  MANHOOD 

The  officers  I  met  with  were  a  very  good-looking  lot  of  men  and 
many  of  them  well  educated  and  able  to  speak  English.  Garcia  himself 
was  a  splendid  specimen  of  manhood.  Fifty-eight  years  old,  straight 
and  dignified  of  carriage,  and  courteous,  he  was  a  splendid  type  of  the 
commander  in  the  field.  General  Rabi  was  black  and  did  not  speak 
English,  but  was  a  fine  soldier  and  a  true  patriot.  But  the  rank  and 
file!  In  Garcia's  army  were  some  very  good-looking  soldiers,  but  in 
Rabi's  army  were  some  villainous-looking  faces.  Patriots!  Oh,  yes, 
but  on  either  side  of  the  fence.  If  the  Spanish  had  treated  them  well 
they  would  have  fought  for  Spain.  As  it  didn't,  they  fought  with  the 
few  patriotic  Cubans  because  they  managed  to  get  enough  to  eat  and 
could  lounge  and  sleep  in  some  sort  of  security.  There  was  one  thing, 
however,  that  was  remarkable,  and  that  was  the  wonderful  control  that 
the  men  in  command  had  over  the  forces.  Where  the  officer  led  the 
men  followed,  and  followed  to  the  death. 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  CAMP  OF  GENERAL  RABI 

When  I  started  on  the  Vixen  I  carried  a  camera,  a  pair  of  field- 
glasses,  and  a  revolver.  From  the  boat,  which  could  not  be  induced  to 
run  up  far  on  the  beach,  I  was  carried  ashore  by  a  burly  Cuban,  to  whom 
I  afterward  presented  a  cigarette  and  a  cake  of  soap.  A  lieutenant- 


262  THE  BLOCKADE 

colonel  afterward  relieved  him  of  the  soap,  and  he  did  not  raise  much 
objection,  but  refused  to  give  up  the  cigarette.  I  got  some  of  the  men 
to  group  themselves,  and  then  I  took  a  picture.  A  couple  of  generals, 
two  or  three  colonels,  and  I  know  not  how  many  majors,  greeted  me  and 
got  me  with  much  difficulty  on  the  back  of  a  mule,  after  which  interesting 
operation  we  started  for  General  Rabi's  camp.  The  men  ahead  of  me 
rode  quite  rapidly,  but  my  mule  persisted  in  walking,  and  the  wicked 
way  he  put  his  ears  back  when  I  thumped  his  side  made  me  not  eager  to 
go  faster.  The  stirrups  were  made  for  a  man  with  long  legs,  and  I 
couldn't  sit  down  with  comfort  for  some  time  after.  A  pair  of  spurs 
might  have  helped  me,  but  I  forbore  asking  when  I  noticed  that  two 
generals  had  one  pair  between  them. 

DISCUSSED  PLANS  OF  CAMPAIGN  WITH  GENERAL  GARCIA 

When  we  got  into  camp  General  Rabi  received  me  with  much 
courtesy  and  gave  me  his  general  idea  of  the  strength  of  the  Santiago 
forts  and  the  plans  we  hoped  to  follow  in  landing  the  army.  The  next 
day  I  went  to  General  Garcia's  camp  and  passed  an  interesting  hour 
with  him,  discussing  the  plans  of  campaign.  We  sipped  at  delicious 
coffee,  had  plain  but  substantial  meals,  and  altogether  a  pleasant  time. 
I  listened  intently  for  the  "ping"  of  Spanish  bullets  and  the  rush  of  a 
Spanish  charge,  but  they  did  not  come.  Perhaps  I  was  not  as  fortunate 
as  the  rest  of  my  newspaper  brethren,  who  enjoyed  such  thrilling  experi 
ences,  but  I  took  comfort  in  General  Garcia's  statement  that  such 
attacks  were  very  rare  unless  the  Cubans  attacked  first. 

POSITION  OF  SPANISH  SHIPS  IN   THE  HARBOR 

The  morning  following  the  night  that  I  spent  in  camp,  in  accordance 
with  an  idea  expressed  by  Commodore  Schley  that  I  should  obtain  if 
possible  an  accurate  idea  of  the  Spanish  ships  in  the  harbor,  I  asked 


THE  BLOCKADE  263 

General  Garcia  to  give  me  two  guides  so  that  I  might  go  up  to  an 
advantageous  point  on  the  high  hill  and  overlook  the  harbor.  He  was 
rather  skeptical  about  my  obtaining  a  view  of  the  ships,  but  he  gave  me 
the  guides  and  I  started  out.  I  didn't  see  any  Spanish,  and  I  didn't  see 
any  ships ;  for,  as  I  learned  afterward,  my  Cuban  guides,  thoroughly 
comprehending  that  I  did  not  understand  the  points  of  the  compass,  had 
walked  me  around  in  a  circle,  not  taking  me  near  the  crest  of  the  hill 
where  there  were  supposed  to  be  some  Spanish  blockhouses.  General 
Garcia,  however,  relieved  my  vexation  that  afternoon  by  showing  me  a 
map  of  the  harbor  upon  which  was  marked  the  position  of  the  various 
ships  drawn  by  a  Cuban  spy  in  Santiago  city,  and  a  copy  of  which  had 
been  given  to  our  Cuban  pilot  to  take  back  to  Admiral  Sampson.  It 
appeared  to  me,  therefore,  that  there  was  no  necessity  for  my  investigat 
ing  the  matter  any  further,  and  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  understand 
why  Admiral  Sampson  found  it  necessary  to  send  Lieutenant  Blue  in 
for  later  information. 

General  Garcia  went  down  with  us  that  afternoon  to  meet  Admiral 
Sampson,  taking  with  him  the  principal  members  of  his  staff,  and  a 
sicker  lot  of  men  I  never  saw  aboard  ship.  There  was  a  heavy  roll  on 
that  day,  and  the  little  Vixen  kept  ploughing  her  nose  into  it  and  twirling 
and  twisting  in  the  most  aggravating  way.  General  Garcia  and  his 
officers  were  very  greatly  distressed,  and  by  the  time  we  arrived 
alongside  the  New  York  they  were  so  ill  that  they  had  serious  trouble 
in  climbing  up  the  sea  ladders  to  the  ship's  deck. 

GARCIA  DID  NOT  AGREE  WITH  PLAN  OF  SAMPSON 

General  Garcia  told  me  on  the  way  down  that  he  did  not  agree 
with  the  plan  proposed  to  him  by  Admiral  Sampson's  chief-of-staff  to 
bring  all  his  troops  from  the  west  to  the  assistance  of  the  American 
army  on  the  east.  He  was  of  the  opinion  that  some  of  the  troops  on 


264  THE  BLOCKADE 

the  northern  coast  of  Cuba  were  crossing  over  to  aid  in  the  defense  of 
Santiago,  and  he  believed  that  his  guerrilla  style  of  warfare,  which 
consisted  in  holding  the  passable  roads  which  an  army  would  naturally 
have  to  follow  in  approaching  the  besieged  city,  would  undoubtedly 
prohibit  their  accomplishing  their  object.  Garcia  said  that  he  had  told 
this  to  Admiral  Sampson's  chief-of-staff,  but  the  latter  had  pooh-poohed 
at  it.  I  did  not  tell  him  that  this  was  the  usual  style  of  the  arrogant 
gentleman  who  occupied  that  office,  and  whose  superior  wisdom  found 
insurmountable  barriers  for  every  plan  suggested  by  any  person  other 
than  himself  to  his  immediate  superior. 

THE  STRENGTH  OF  THE  CUBAN  ARMY 

General  Laura,  chief-of-division  for  General  Garcia,  told  me  that  he 
had  some  4,500  men  back  in  the  country  about  forty-five  miles  by  road 
from  Santiago.  There  were  also  about  3,000  men,  he  said,  in  General 
Rabi's  division,  and  all  of  these  7,500  men  were  well  supplied  with 
ammunition  and  clothing.  I  do  not  think  he  appreciated  that  I  had  been 
in  Jesus  Rabi's  camp  the  night  before  and  that  I  had  particularly 
noticed  their  lack  of  clothes  and  also  lack  of  ammunition.  All  of  these 
Cuban  officers  seemed  to  have  that  spirit  of  exaggeration  that  forbade 
them  giving  accurate  information  to  our  officers.  There  were  possibly 
all  told  in  Rabi's  camp,  so  far  as  I  could  observe,  not  over  2,000  people, 
and  of  these  at  least  300  were  women  and  children.  They  were  only 
half  clothed,  and  I  am  positive  they  did  not  have  sufficient  ammunition, 
because  they  tried  to  deplete  my  cartridge  belt,  urging  that  I  could  obtain 
a  new  supply  when  I  went  back  aboard  ship.  As  to  their  provisions,  I 
do  not  know  much.  My  breakfast  consisted  that  morning  of  some 
baked  yams,  dried  bananas,  and  a  cup  of  very  excellent  coffee.  I  did 
not  see  any  meat  in  camp,  and  from  the  way  those  of  Garcia's  officers 
who  were  not  ill  attacked  the  steak  on  the  Vixen  at  dinner  that  after 
noon,  I  imagine  that  there  was  not  a  plenitude  of  that  article. 


THE  BLOCKADE  267 

When  General  Garcia  arrived  at  the  New  York  Admiral  Sampson 
detailed  his  idea  already  promulgated  by  his  chief- of -staff,  that  the  Cuban 
army  should  be  brought  down  to  operate  in  conjunction  with  the 
American  troops.  General  Garcia  did  not  acquiesce,  and  that  night 
went  back  to  his  position  with  the  troops,  after  expressing  the  hope  that 
he  would  be  permitted  to  make  an  attack  on  the  western  side  of 
Santiago  at  the  same  time  the  American  troops  were  attacking  the 
eastern  and  northern  ends. 

HOW  THINGS  WERE  GOING  ASHORE 

In  the  meantime  we  had  received  our  first  indication  of  how  things 
were  going  ashore  by  the  interception  of  a  letter  from  the  general  in 
command  of  the  division  about  Guantanamo,  giving  the  details  of  our 
success  in  that  locality,  and  the  serious  straits  to  which  their  forces 
were  reduced.  The  letter  is  here  used  to  show  how  brave  these 
Spaniards  were,  even  under  extremely  discouraging  and  disheartening 
circumstances,  and  as  also  displaying  the  heroic  impudence  of  the 
American  forces,  which  was  particularly  noticed  by  the  Spaniards: 

EXCELLENT  SIR:  The  seventh  day,  at  dawn,  brought  seven  ships 
before  the  port  of  Caimanera.  They  fired  grapeshot  and  all  kinds  of 
projectiles  on  the  Playa  del  Este  and  Cayo  Toro  until  they  set  fire  to 
the  fort  on  the  Playa  Este  and  burning  the  houses  of  the  pilots  which 
the  detachment  occupied.  This  lasted,  cannonading  with  more  or  less 
intensity,  until  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

As  the  Playa  del  Este  had  only  two  muzzle-loading  guns  and  sand 
intrenchments,  the  detachment  could  do  nothing  before  six  ships  firing 
on  them  from  all  sides.  They  retired  into  Manigua  and  to  the  Cuzco 
Hill,  where  they  remain  to-day  making  sallies  on  the  beach. 

From  that  day  150  men  occupy  Punta  Caracolas  observing  the 
movements  of  ships  which  occupy  all  the  outer  port  with  a  trans 
port  of  war  and  a  variable  number  of  armed  ships  and  other  vessels  of 
war  and  armed  merchant  ships,  total  never  less  than  four. 

I  have  also  taken  Enanto  Passes  and  the  vigilant  Magne,  which  is 
disposed  to  fall  on  them  where  damage  can  be  done. 


268  THE  BLOCKADE 

I  remain  in  Caimanera  and  will  only  come  to  the  Enanto  when  I 
think  it  necessary,  as  to-day.  I  have  not  been  able  to  antagonize  the 
American  ships  with  rifle  fire,  no  known  ground  being  at  hand.  Yester 
day  the  captain  of  engineers  ordered  to  make  safe  protections  that 
would  impede  and  to  make  them  low.  The  ground  of  Playa  Este  is 
better  for  this  purpose.  I  refer  solely  to  disembarkation.  Dia  F.  San- 
doval  and  Cayo  Toro  fired  with  their  artillery,  being  impeded  with  their 
short  range,  when  the  ships  retired  to  the  center  of  the  channel  and 
took  positions  in  the  middle  of  the  bay,  or  they  would  not  have  stopped 
answering  the  fire  which  the  enemy's  ships  were  keeping  up  with 
impunity.  Sandoval  has  not  over  seven  discharges  of  piercing  project 
iles,  and  Caimanera  battery  did  not  fire,  reserving  fire  until  the  ships 
entered  the  channel,  which  is  where  their  guns  reached.  I  am  told 
that  the  insurgent  forces  at  Baracao  have  come  down  to  Siguabos,  their 
increased  happiness  being  noticed,  and  Palamar,  and  I  do  not  know 
more. 

The  American  squadron,  in  possession  of  the  outer  bay,  has  taken 
it  as  if  for  a  harbor  of  rest;  they  have  anchored  as  if  in  one  of  their  own 
ports  since  the  7th,  the  day  they  cut  the  cables,  in  the  entrance  and 
center  of  the  harbor.  I  not  being  able  to  reach  them,  they  have  not 
again  molested  me,  except  with  two  cannon  shots  on  the  8th.  It 
appears  from  the  work  that  is  being  done  that  they  are  preparing  to  plant 
the  harbor  with  mines,  or  place  their  ships  for  disembarkation  at  Playa 
del  Este,  their  favorite  place.  If  it  is  the  first,  I  call  your  attention  to  it 
in  case  that  some  time  our  squadron  should  come  here.  The  forces  of 
the  brigade  are  in  good  spirits.  I  continue  serving  out  half  rations  of 
everything,  and  in  that  way  I  expect  to  reach  only  the  end  of  the  month, 
above  all  in  bread,  as  I  have  no  flour  of  any  kind,  as  I  said,  and  no  way 
of  getting  any  on  account  of  there  having  been  no  corn  for  some  time. 
Quinine  for  the  hospitals  the  same.  In  hard  straits  I  have  taken  private 
drug  stores,  and  will  have  enough  until  the  end  of  the  month.  Town 
in  needful  circumstances,  first  need  since  the  2d  ultimo.  On  the  7th 
we  had  only  two  wounded  at  Cayo  Toro.  The  cable  house,  riddled  with 
shell,  still  stands,  and  if  Americans  abandon  port,  which  I  doubt,  every 
thing  possible  will  be  done  to  re-establish  communication,  to  which  end 
I  have  everything  ready.  i 

To-day  there  is  in  the  harbor  a  large  armored  vessel  and  seven 
more  vessels,  with  a  large  transport  that  appears  to  be  a  storeship. 
They  patrol  Playa  del  Este  with  armed  launches,  I  have  just  been 
informed. 

I  return  to  Caimanera  on  seeing  the  carrier  of  this  start  out,  he 


THE  BLOCKADE  269 

meriting  confidence  as  a  trusty  of  the  brigade,  having  rendered  me  good 
services  up  to  date.  By  sea  I  have  ready  a  youth  that  served  in  the 
navy  and  who  offered  himself  spontaneously.  I  actively  recommend  him 
to  your  excellency  should  he  arrive. 

FELIX  PAREJA. 


•r^<*ri***T'5 
vki* 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE   TROOPS  ARRIVE 

EARLY  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  we  saw  the  arrival  of  the  long- 
looked-for  and  expected  fleet  of  transports,  convoyed  by  the 
Indiana,  the  Detroit,  the  Bancroft,  the  Helena,  the  Annapolis,  the  Wasp, 
the  Eagle,  the  Hornet,  the  Osceola,  and  the  Manning.  When  they  were 
sighted  the  men  of  the  fleet  swarmed  upon  the  decks  of  their  ships, 
sending  up  cheer  after  cheer,  because  it  was  thoroughly  believed  that 
with  the  landing  of  these  troops  would  come  the  end  of  the  war,  at 
least  in  that  part  of  the  island. 

SHAFTER  AND  SAMPSON  HOLD  A  CONFERENCE 

Admiral  Sampson  and  General  Shafter  had  a  conference  to  which 
Commodore  Schley  was  not  invited,  and  General  Garcia  was  again  sent 
for  and  told  to  make  arrangements  to  bring  his  troops  from  Asserredoros 
to  Daiquiri,  where  the  army  was  about  to  land. 

A  very  clever  scheme  of  landing  deceived  the  Spaniards.  They 
were  naturally  watching  out  for  the  arrival  and  the  disembarking  of 
American  troops,  and  so  it  was  ingeniously  arranged  that  several  dem 
onstrations  should  be  made  in  different  localities  along  the  coast.  All 
day  long  the  transports  lay  off  the  coast,  rolling  and  tossing  in  the  heavy 
sea  and  making  life  very  miserable  for  the  thousands  of  men  crowded 
upon  them,  and  who  formed  the  army  force  for  the  attack  on  southern 
Cuba. 

is  273 


274  THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE 

A  DEMONSTRATION   ALONG  THE  COAST 

At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  General  Castillo,  who  was 
to  the  east  of  Santiago  with  about  1,000  Cubans,  began  moving  slowly 
up  from  Daiquiri  toward  Santiago  to  clear  the  way  for  an  unopposed 
landing  of  the  American  troops.  At  the  same  time  the  New  Orleans, 
the  Detroit,  the  Castine,  and  the  Wasp  began  shelling  the  woods  in  the 
vicinity  so  as  to  drive  out  any  Spaniards.  Commodore  Schley  had  sent 
from  the  Flying  Squadron  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  so  that  they 
would  arrive  at  Daiquiri  by  daylight,  all  of  the  steam  launches  and  sev 
eral  of  the  large  cutters  from  each  ship.  Simultaneously  with  the 
shelling  of  the  beach  at  Daiquiri,  the  Eagle  and  the  Gloucester  began 
firing  at  a  point  near  Aguadores;  the  Scorpion,  Vixen,  and  Texas  at 
Cabanas;  and  the  Hornet,  Helena,  and  Bancroft  at  Altares,  points  a  few 
miles  east  and  west  of  the  harbor  entrance  of  Santiago. 

At  the  same  time  three  or  four  of  the  colliers  which  accompanied 
the  fleet  were  dispatched  to  Cabanas,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  to 
the  westward  of  Santiago,  and  began  lowering  their  boats  as  if  intend 
ing  to  land  a  hostile  force.  Then  at  Daiquiri  began  the  greatest  hustle 
that  probably  ever  occurred  in  the  landing  of  troops,  and  it  was  a  boat 
from  Commodore  Schley's  ship,  the  Brooklyn,  commanded  by  Naval- 
Cadet  Haligan  that  reached  the  beach  first  and,  landing  her  boat  load  of 
American  soldiers,  was  presented  with  a  silk  Cuban  flag  as  a  reward. 

TROOPS    SUCCESSFULLY   LANDED 

The  landing  was  successful  in  every  respect,  only  two  men  being 
killed,  and  a  few  horses  drowned  by  the  upsetting  of  a  boat. 

It  was  two  o'clock  that  morning  when,  under  cover  of  the  dark 
ness,  the  work  of  lowering  the  boats  from  the  New  York,  Texas, 
Massachusetts,  Iowa,  Oregon,  and  Brooklyn  began,  the  New  York  send 
ing  forty -eight  men  with  her  steam  launch  and  cutters. 


THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE  275 

A  short  time  previous  to  the  first  movements  of  preparation  of  the 
boats  for  landing,  the  Spaniards  had  been  terrorized  by  the  Vesuvius. 
She  had  crept  up  through  the  shadows  along  the  eastern  hills  of  Santiago 
harbor,  and  suddenly  the  darkness  was  shattered  by  a  blinding  flash, 
followed  by  a  heavy,  coughing  sigh,  and  then  in  about  the  neighborhood 
of  the  eastern  battery  there  was  crashing  and  rending  of  earth,  timber, 
and  stone,  and  we  knew  that  a  mighty  shell  filled  with  gun-cotton  had 
exploded,  leaving  trepidation,  if  not  devastation,  in  its  wake.  Three 
times  the  Vesuvius  shot  forth  her  frightful  warning,  and  then,  while  the 
western  batteries  fired  a  couple  of  shots  in  an  endeavor  to  land  a  pro 
jectile  among  her  terrible  mass  of  gigantic  explosives,  she  hurried  back 
to  the  protection  of  the  fleet. 

WATCHING  FOR  ADMIRAL  CERVERA 

Captain  Goodrich  had  the  general  charge  of  the  landing.  The  fleet 
still  lay  at  the  regular  blockading  station,  watching  for  Admiral  Cervera, 
should  he  make  a  dash  out.  When  the  dawn  broke  the  long  line  of 
transports  was  seen  stretched  out  over  the  eastern  horizon  and  fading 
toward  Daiquiri. 

The  Indiana  was  slowly  coming  into  blockading  position  at  Daiquiri, 
and  the  New  Orleans,  Detroit,  Castine,  and  Wasp  could  be  seen  faintly. 

Shortly  after  six  o'clock  the  New  Orleans  opened  fire.  An  explo 
sion  occurred  ashore  and  soon  columns  of  smoke  were  seen  ascending 
from  Daiquiri,  standing  out  cloudily  against  the  green  background  of  the 
rugged  mountains  that  rise  from  the  water's  edge.  The  shell  had  evi 
dently  set  the  buildings  on  fire,  but  the  thick  haze  of  smoke  and  mist 
made  it  hard  to  see  exactly  what  was  occurring  there. 

DUEL  BETWEEN  THE  TEXAS  AND  THE  BATTERIES 

Before  eight  o'clock  the  Texas,  keeping  close  inshore,  proceeded 
to  Cabanas,  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  El  Morro,  to  make  a  feint 


276  THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE 

at  landing  troops  there.  The  transports  which  were  to  have  accompa 
nied  the  Texas  were  still  far  out  of  position.  Suddenly  a  puff  of  smoke 
shot  out  from  the  western  battery,  showing  that  the  enemy  was  devoting 
attention  to  the  Texas.  The  battleship  replied  promptly,  firing  at  the 
western  batteries  with  her  twelve  and  six-inch  guns  and  with  her  smaller 
guns  at  a  blockhouse  in  a  small  inlet  at  Cabanas.  For  an  hour  the  duel 
between  the  Texas  and  forts  continued. 

The  most  spectacular  event  so  far  in  the  war  it  was.  The  marks 
manship  of  the  Texas  was  marvelous.  Though  over  two  miles  away 
and  in  an  awkward  position,  she  dropped  shell  after  shell  right  on  the 
ridge  of  the  hill  where  the  enemy's  guns  lay.  Clouds  of  yellow  earth 
rose  high  into  the  air. 

THE  WONDERFUL  WORK  OF  THE  TEXAS 

The  crew  on  the  flagship  greeted  each  of  these  with  loud  cheers. 
Puffs  of  white  smoke  shot  through  the  yellow  canyon.  These  were 
shots  from  the  enemy.  The  Spanish  stuck  to  their  guns  well,  but  their 
aim  was  wild,  the  shots  falling  some  a  mile  ahead  and  some  a  mile 
astern  of  the  Texas.  Finally  the  enemy's  shots  became  few  and  far 
between.  They  probably  had  been  driven  from  their  guns.  All  the 
other  battleships  of  the  United  States  Navy  lay  in  a  semi-circle  watching 
the  wonderful  work  of  the  Texas  and  not  wishing  to  distract  the  enemy's 
attention  from  the  successful  feint. 

On  land  still  further  to  the  westward  General  Rabi  with  500  Cubans 
was  making  a  military  demonstration  to  assist  in  causing  the  Spaniards 
to  concentrate  their  troops  to  the  west  of  Santiago.  Meanwhile  a  lively 
naval  attack  was  in  progress  east  of  the  harbor  of  Aguadores,  a  village 
two  or  three  miles  east  of  El  Morro.  The  Eagle  and  Gloucester  com 
menced  to  fire  at  the  blockhouses  there  shortly  after  eight  o'clock.  The 
bluff  was  peppered  with  the  smoke  clouds  of  their  exploding  shells.  A 


*£ 


A  RECENT  PORTRAIT  OF  REAR-ADMIRAL  SCHLEY 
(xlvi) 


THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE  279 

few  miles  further  to  the  east  the  Hornet,  Helena,  and  Bancroft  were  in 
the  picturesque  harbor  of  Tusenada  De  Los  Altares  banging  away  at 
two  blockhouses  on  the  side  of  a  hill  which  rose  above  the  deserted 
village.  The  heavy  swell  caused  these  craft  to  roll  considerably  and 
the  surf  broke  viciously  against  the  rocks.  The  sun  shone  bright,  a 
light  breeze  blew  and  the  gunboats,  half  enveloped  in  white  smoke, 
nestled  in  these  fine  harbors,  forming  a  picturesque  sight.  They  were 
feinting  more  than  fighting. 

THE  COAST  DOTTED  WITH  THE  SMOKE  OF  SHELLS 

From  Cabanas  to  Daiquiri,  fourteen  miles  of  coast,  the  ridge  was 
dotted  with  the  smoke  of  American  shells.  The  battery  west  of 
El  Morro  was  the  only  point  where  the  enemy  appeared  to  make  any 
serious  attempt  to  reply.  The  sharp  reports  of  the  batteries  of  the 
smaller  boats  filled  the  air,  the  echoes  dying  away  into  the  great  hills 
behind.  A  faint  odor  of  saltpeter  drifted  out  to  sea. 

The  officers  and  crews  of  the  ships  not  engaged  watched  the  shore 
eagerly.  At  10:30  the  New  York  ran  down  from  El  Morro  to  Daiquiri, 
the  real  seat  of  operations. 

Just  as  she  arrived  the  first  boat  load  of  troops  was  landing  at  the 
iron  company's  wharf. 

The  transports  had  been  slow  in  coming  up.  When  Admiral 
Sampson  arrived  the  Suwanee,  Detroit,  and  Wasp  were  banging  away 
at  a  bluff  to  the  west  of  Daiquiri,  where  the  Spanish  troops  were 
believed  to  be  in  ambuscade. 

SHELLS  SET  FIRE  TO  DAIQUIRI 

Around  the  wharf  launches  and  boats  were  thickly  clustered,  some 
black  with  troops,  others  half  empty  and  their  former  occupants  climb 
ing  up  like  ants.  The  firing  of  the  gunboats  was  soon  discontinued. 


280  THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE 

Flames  broke  out  where  the  shells  had  been  directed  and  a  long,  low, 
white  house  was  soon  burned  up.  No  shots  were  seen  to  come  from 
any  points  on  shore. 

The  waters  around  Daiquiri  were  black  with  small  craft  of  all  sorts, 
plying  quickly  between  the  transports  and  the  shore.  Smoke  curled  up 
from  various  spots  around  the  village,  marking  the  fires  caused  by  the 
shells. 

THE  NIGHTLY  TRIPS  OF  THE  DYNAMITE  CRUISER  VESUVIUS 

In  the  meantime  every  indication  that  came  from  Santiago  was  to 
the  effect  that  the  Spaniards  were  getting  very  low  in  food  supplies;  that 
there  was  little,  if  any,  coal  to  re-supply  the  warships,  and  that  the 
Vesuvius,  which  had  joined  our  fleet  on  the  night  of  June  14th,  was 
making  it  very  unpleasant  for  them.  She  had  been  in  every  night  for 
six  nights  and  had  dropped  shells  containing  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
pounds  of  gun-cotton,  inside  the  harbor  or  up  on  the  high  hills.  One  of 
these  shells  had  fallen  very  close  to  the  torpedo  boat  Furor  and  had 
compelled  her  and  the  battleship  Maria  Teresa  to  change  anchorage, 
for  fear  of  total  destruction,  because,  had  one  of  these  terrible  charges 
dropped  on  the  deck,  it  would  have  blown  either  ship  apart.  The  hour 
for  the  Vesuvius  going  in  was  generally  fixed  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  it 
would  appear  that  this  was  rather  a  mistake,  for  had  she  gone  in  at  various 
hours  of  the  nights  in  question,  she  would  have  kept  the  Spanish  so  dis 
turbed  that  they  would  have  found  sleep  impossible,  either  on  the  fleet  or 
in  the  city.  However,  she  certainly  did  her  share  in  putting  them  in  a 
state  of  nervous  anxiety  from  which  it  would  appear  they  never  fully 
recovered  during  the  war.  The  terrible  power  of  a  ship  like  the  Vesu 
vius  constructed  on  more  practical  lines  cannot  be  imagined.  The  great 
trouble  with  this  first  dynamite  cruiser  was  that  instead  of  having  range- 
finding  guns,  she  fired  her  torpedoes  from  tubes  buckled  to  her  keel 
plate,  which  practically  made  it  impossible  for  her  to  tram  the  guns  in 


THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE  281 

any  direction  except  that  in  which  the  ship  might  be  pointed.  Some 
control  of  the  distance  at  which  the  shell  could  be  fired  was  obtained  by 
the  reducing  of  the  charge  in  the  air  flasks,  the  torpedoes  being  fired 
pneumatically,  but  the  slightest  swing  of  the  boat  in  a  heavy  rolling  sea 
naturally  disarranged  her  aim  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  reach  a  specific  object.  She  would  have  been  very  much 
more  effective  had  she  had  upon  her  deck  dynamite  guns  of  the  Zalinski 
pattern  which  could  have  been  trained  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as 
are  the  secondary  battery  guns  on  a  warship.  But  one  can  imagine, 
perhaps,  the  terrible  strain  under  which  these  people  inside  the  harbor 
labored,  when  each  night,  about  the  same  hour,  with  terrified  expectancy 
they  awaited  the  fall  of  these  projectiles  and  the  consequent  earth- 
shaking  explosions.  Those  nearest  the  fleet  would  hear  a  sound  like 
the  coughing  of  a  huge  animal.  That  was  the  shell  going  from  the  gun. 
Then  those  ashore  would  hear  a  slight  whizzing  sound  as  the  projectile 
displaced  the  air,  and  following  that,  as  it  struck  the  earth,  the  frightful 
noise  and  jar  of  its  explosion.  Tons  of  earth  and  debris  of  all  kinds 
would  go  flying  through  the  air,  the  earth  would  fairly  shake,  and  the 
concussion  would  be  tremendous  for  hundreds  of  yards  around.  Then 
the  people  would  await  a  couple  more  explosions,  for  the  ship  usually 
fired  three  of  these  shells.  But  after  a  few  days,  when  they  had  become 
accustomed  to  the  hour  and  to  the  number  of  shells  fired,  the  Spanish 
made  it  a  point  of  not  retiring  until  after  the  Vesuvius  had  accomplished 
her  night's  work. 

DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  SCHLEY  AND  SAMPSON  AS  TO  BLOCKADE 

It  is  perhaps  well,  before  closing  this  chapter,  to  detail  the  points 
of  difference  between  the  blockade  established  by  Commodore  Schley 
upon  his  arrival  and  the  later  and  newer  one  established  by  Admiral 
Sampson,  after  he  had  taken  command  of  the  fleet.  Commodore  Schley 


282  THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE 

had  based  his  plan  of  blockade  upon  the  supposition  that  the  Spanish 
fleet  had  entered  this  harbor  for  the  purpose  of  provisioning  and  coaling, 
and  would  make  an  attempt  to  leave  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
He  therefore  kept  all  engines  coupled,  coaled  his  fleet  to  its  fullest 
capacity  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  and  without  depleting  Ihe  line  by 
sending  the  ships  away  for  any  purpose,  and  at  night  had  kept  up  a 
moving  blockade,  in  the  form  of  an  ellipse,  which  kept  half  the  ships 
moving  toward  the  east  and  the  remaining  vessels  heading  toward  the 
west  across  the  harbor  mouth,  so  that  no  matter  in  what  direction  the 
Spanish  ships  attempted  to  run  if  they  came  out,  some  of  the  American 
ships  would  be  already  moving  in  the  same  general  direction,  and  having 
an  acquired  headway  would  be  very  much  more  able  to  keep  along  with 
the  fast  Spanish  vessels  than  would  ships  that  were  lying  still  with 
reduced  steaming  power. 

In  addition  to  this  Commodore  Schley  did  not  have  a  sufficient 
number  of  vessels  to  use  for  pickets,  the  Vixen  being  the  only  small 
boat,  in  addition  to  the  gunboat  Marblehead,  that  could  be  used  for  that 
purpose. 

SAMPSON  CHANGED  THE  PLAN  OF  BLOCKADE 

On  June  2d,  a  day  after  Admiral  Sampson  had  arrived,  he  changed 
this  plan  of  blockade  and  established  an  immobile  one,  which,  no  matter 
what  the  contentions  may  be  as  to  the  superiority  of  Commodore 
Schley's  mobile  squadron,  at  least  demonstrated  its  entire  effectiveness 
by  absolutely  preventing  the  Spaniards,  as  they  themselves  have 
admitted,  from  coming  out  at  night.  Of  course,  it  must  be  said  for 
Commodore  Schley,  that  Admiral  Sampson's  method  of  blockade  could 
only  have  been  used  with  the  larger  number  of  vessels  making  up  the 
squadron  after  the  latter's  arrival.  The  Sampson  night  blockade,  which 
proved  so  thoroughly  effective,  consisted  of  placing  the  large  vessels  of 
the  squadron  in  a  semi-circle  about  four  miles  from  the  entrance,  each 


THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE  285 

ship  pointing  toward  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  using  her  engines 
only  to  keep  her  in  position.  This  semi-circle,  as  originally  established, 
consisted  of  the  Brooklyn  inshore  toward  the  west  and  the  New  York 
inshore  to  the  east,  with  the  Texas,  Massachusetts,  Iowa,  Oregon,  and 
Indiana  between  them.  Inside  of  this  line,  and  about  three  miles  from 
the  harbor,  was  a  picket  line  consisting  of  the  Marblehead,  the  Vixen, 
the  Suwanee,  the  Dolphin,  and  the  Mayflower.  Still  further  inside  of 
them  and  within  two  miles  of  the  entrance  were  six  steam  launches  from 
the  warships.  These  launches  were  armed  with  one-pounder  rapid-fire 
guns  and  were  supplied  with  colored  lights,  which  were  to  be  fired  if 
torpedo  boats  or  the  fleet  attempted  to  escape,  or  if  there  were  any  sus 
picious  movements  inside  the  harbor. 

SEARCHLIGHTS  OF  WARSHIPS  THROWN  IN  HARBOR  ENTRANCE 

But  more  effective  than  all  this  was  the  policy  adopted  of  having 
two  of  the  big  warships  throw  their  searchlights  directly  in  the  entrance. 
This  was  naturally  a  risky  piece  of  business,  for  while  by  illumination  in 
one  place  it  made  the  surrounding  darkness  extremely  intense  for  those 
on  shore  and  blinded  their  vision,  it  still  gave  a  chance  for  the  gunners 
on  Morro  or  La  Socapa  to  pick  out  the  ships  from  which  the  lights  were 
operated  and  possibly  land  a  shell  on  them.  Curiously  enough,  how 
ever,  the  opportunity  offered  was  never  taken  advantage  of,  much  to 
Admiral  Sampson's  surprise  and  naturally  to  his  gratification.  He  had 
ordered  the  searchlights  thrown  with  some  hesitancy  as  to  the  result, 
but  there  was  no  attempt  made  by  those  ashore  to  fire  upon  the  ships  at 
night,  and  for  the  four  weeks  that  we  were  there  this  operation  was  con 
tinued.  So  brightly  was  the  harbor  illumined  at  night  by  these  search 
lights  that  the  green  of  the  side  hills  could  be  seen  and  the  wash  of  the 
surf  over  the  coral  reefs  plainly  noticed.  On  the  ships  throwing  the 
lights  the  secondary  batteries  were  kept  manned  so  that  the  instant  a 


286  THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE 

torpedo  boat  showed  her  nose  she  could  be  fired  upon,  this  firing  also 
giving  a  warning  to  the  remainder  of  the  fleet.  One  night  while  the  fleet 
was  keeping  this  blockade  the  Texas  thought  she  discovered  a  light 
moving  along  shore  to  the  west.  It  was  known  that  the  torpedo  boat 
Terror  was  not  with  the  fleet  in  the  harbor,  and  it  was  supposed  that 
possibly  she  had  come  over  and  was  attempting  to  join  her  sister  ships. 
The  night  letter,  which  consisted  of  a  number  of  colored  lanterns,  was 
displayed  at  the  masthead  and  was  supposed  to  be  immediately  answered 
by  the  vessel  toward  which  it  was  directed.  No  answer  came,  and  the 
secondary  battery  crew  of  the  Brooklyn,  from  which  the  episode  was 
being  watched,  were  ordered  to  their  guns.  One  of  the  men  on  our 
after-bridge  grew  a  trifle  excited  as  he  saw  the  light  beginning  to  move 
along,  and  let  fly  a  six-pounder  without  any  orders.  Instantly  the  Texas 
opened  fire,  and  for  a  few  moments  there  was  fusilade.  You  would  have 
thought  from  the  actions  of  Commodore  Schley  and  Captain  Cook  that 
it  was  a  mere  drill  instead  of  a  probable  fight,  for  in  the  same  breath 
they  began  to  berate  the  man  who  had  fired  without  orders.  It  was  very 
soon  discovered  that  the  light  was  one  moving  along  the  beach,  probably 
a  railroad  train,  and  that  in  firing  at  it  we  had  seriously  endangered  the 
Suwanee  and  the  Vixen.  The  next  morning  the  Suwanee  swung  under 
our  stern  and  Commodore  Schley  called  through  the  megaphone  to 
Commander  Delehanty,  "Dan,  do  you  think  that  was  a  torpedo  boat?" 
To  which  Delehanty  caustically  replied,  "No,  I  don't;  but  if  your  gun 
ners  hadn't  been  such  damned  poor  shots  I  would  have  been  under 

water." 

PERILS  OF  LIFE  ABOARD  A  WARSHIP 

Those  who  read  of  the  blockade  off  Santiago  probably  considered 
that  but  for  an  attack  by  the  enemy  or  a  possible  mine,  their  dear  ones 
aboard  the  American  fleet  were  quite  as  safe  as  though  at  home.  Those 
who  know  little  or  nothing  of  life  aboard  a  warship  seldom  realize  what 


THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE  287 

a  floating  death-trap  it  is,  only  made  safe  by  the  constant,  uninterrupted 
watchfulness  of  officers  and  men.  The  failure  of  one  of  the  automatic 
electrical  attachments  to  a  coal  bunker  to  tell  of  a  fire  would  soon  over 
heat  a  magazine  and  send  the  bottom  of  the  ship  crashing  out  by  the 
terrific  explosion  of  ammunition;  or,  a  single  slip  in  the  handling  of  the 
tremendous  projectiles  as  they  are  hauled  from  the  hold  up  to  the  guns 
on  deck  might  result  in  a  disaster  equal  to  that  of  the  Maine. 

I  remember  one  day  I  was  in  my  cabin,  when  the  door  was  flung 
open,  and  my  roommate,  Paymaster's  Clerk  Orin  E.  Hancock,  staggered 
in,  trembling,  white  to  the  lips,  and  with  great  beads  of  perspiration  stand 
ing  on  his  face.  He  sank  on  the  edge  of  the  berth  and  tried  to  speak, 
but  could  not.  He  shook  as  with  an  ague,  and  his  trembling  lips  refused 
to  utter  intelligible  sounds.  I  jumped  from  my  seat,  and  grabbed  the 
brandy  flask,  toward  which  he  nodded.  Pouring  him  out  a  draught,  I 
held  it  to  his  lips,  and  as  the  color  crept  back  to  his  face  and  the  nervous 
trembling  ceased,  he  gasped,  "My  God,  boy!  Here  you  sit,  calmly  read 
ing,  and  yet  at  this  moment  we  might  have  been  at  the  bottom." 

WONDERFUL  ESCAPE  FROM  EXPLOSION  ON  BROOKLYN 

Hancock  was  a  volunteer  for  actual  battle  service,*  his  position  not 
requiring  him  to  take  part  in  any  of  the  fighting.  He  had  been  placed 
in  charge  of  the  forward  eight-inch  handling  room,  which  is  in  the  hold 
directly  under  the  eight-inch  forward  turret,  from  this  place  the  project 
iles  being  sent  up  in  an  electric  elevator  to  the  breech  of  the  gun.  The 
shells  used  that  morning  were  explosive  ones,  and  the  plunger  which 
detonates  them  is  at  the  back  and  fastened,  in  order  to  insure  safety 
during  handling,  with  a  sensitive  wire.  In  the  room  with  Hancock  were 
about  five  men,  and  the  space  in  which  they  were  at  work  was  not  over 
twelve  feet  in  diameter.  The  turret  is  easily  thirty  feet  above,  and  Han 
cock,  suddenly  looking  up,  saw  that  a  shell  had  slipped  from  the  cage  as 


288  THE  TROOPS  ARRIVE 

the  men  were  removing  it,  and  that  it  was  coming  down  with  frightful 
speed,  point  on.  With  that  discipline  which  marks  naval  men  the  world 
over,  Hancock  shouted  out  the  order,  "Stand  clear,"  and  the  men  stood 
up  against  the  sides  of  the  handling  room,  their  arms  by  their  sides  and 
heads  erect,  although  they  must  have  appreciated  that  if  the  shell 
exploded,  as  it  is  designed  to  do  when  it  hits  an  object,  there  was  no 
possible  escape  for  them.  The  projectile  came  crashing  down  and 
struck  square  into  the  steel  floor  with  such  force  that  it  never  rebounded, 
and  this  it  was  that  saved  the  ship.  For  an  instant  the  men  stood  there, 
and  then,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  jumped  over  to  where  the  shell  was  and 
carefully  lifted  it  out  of  the  hole  it  had  made.  An  examination  showed 
that  the  sensitive  wire  which  holds  the  plunger  and  which  is  broken  by 
the  concussion  in  the  gun  when  it  is  fired,  was  severed,  but  that  the 
failure  of  the  shell  to  rebound  had  not  given  the  second  impact  necessary 
to  drive  the  plunger  against  the  detonator.  This  had  saved  their  lives. 
As  soon  as  they  could  get  from  the  handling  room  to  God's  fresh  air  for 
a  few  minutes  they  did  so.  Had  the  shell  detonated,  not  only  would  it 
have  killed  all  the  men  but  it  would  have  exploded  the  magazine  and 
driven  the  bottom  out  of  the  ship. 


••  I 


f>\ 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BEFORE  THE  BATTLE 

FOR  five  weeks  the  harbor  of  Santiago  had  been  blockaded,  and 
Commodore  Schley  and  Admiral  Sampson  had  each  obtained 
definite  knowledge  that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  in  that  bay ;  but,  so  far  as 
outward  appearances  went,  there  had  been  no  indication  to  those  in  the 
fleet  that  the  entire  Spanish  squadron  was  there.  We  had  never  seen 
a  torpedo  boat  show  her  nose,  nor  had  we  secured  a  view  of  an  entire 
war  vessel,  with  the  exception  of  the  Cristobal  Colon  during  the  first 
two  days  we  were  there.  But  on  July  2d,  there  occurred  a  series  of 
incidents  that  demonstrated  not  only  their  presence  there,  but  seemed 
to  indicate  that  they  were  preparing  to  make  a  sortie  of  some  character. 

RESULT  OF  THE  BOMBARDMENT 

The  American  fleet  had  bombarded  on  the  morning  of  the  2d,  the 
Brooklyn,  the  New  York,  the  Massachusetts,  the  Iowa,  the  Indiana,  the 
Oregon,  the  Newark,  the  Gloucester,  and  the  Vixen  taking  part.  We 
went  into  action  about  5:45  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  remained 
there  until  about  7:30.  For  some  reason  or  other,  the  batteries  ashore 
responded  with  unusual  activity  that  day,  and  although  none  of  their 
shells  hit  us — while  the  shooting  of  our  fleet  was  exceedingly  accurate 
and  quite  spectacular — remarks  were  made  that  the  Spaniards  were 
improving.  We  knocked  down  a  lighthouse,  tore  up  a  western  battery, 

291 


292  BEFORE  THE  BATTLE 

dismounting  one  of  their  heaviest  guns,  and  finished  the  performance  by 
the  destruction  of  the  corner  of  the  tower  of  Morro,  and  knocking  down 
the  Spanish  flag.  No  schoolboy  was  ever  so  tickled  over  some  juvenile 
accomplishment,  as  was  Commodore  Schley  that  morning,  over  the  low 
ering  of  this  Spanish  red  and  yellow.  Every  day  for  five  weeks  we  had 
seen  that  Spanish  flag  go  up  in  the  early  morning  as  if  in  defiance  of 
our  presence,  and  all  day  long  it  would  flaunt  us,  only  to  be  hauled 
down  at  sunset,  when  the  evening  gun  was  fired.  Commodore  Schley 
watched  the  bombardment  that  morning  from  a  position  on  the  port  side 
of  the  Brooklyn,  about  half  way  between  the  forward  eight-inch  turret 
and  the  port  eight-inch  turret.  He  was  standing  on  the  deck,  instead 
of  on  his  little  platform  near  the  conning  tower,  and  his  flag  lieutenant, 
Mr.  Sears,  had  several  times  asked  him  to  step  back,  the  latter  being 
afraid  the  tremendous  blast  of  the  guns  of  our  own  ship  would  knock 
him  overboard.  It  was  drizzling  rain,  and  the  Commodore  had  on  a  rain 
coat,  and  once  when  a  forward  eight-inch  gun  fired  I  saw  the  blast  from 
it  drag  the  long  tails  around  his  legs,  so  that  it  very  nearly  threw  him 
down.  Finally,  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason  and  Lieutenant  Sears 
together  used  respectful  force  and  compelled  Schley  to  get  up  on  the 
platform,  out  of  the  way  of  the  blasts. 

THE  TERRIFIC  BLAST  OF  AN  EIGHT-INCH  GUN 

The  blasts  from  these  eight-inch  guns  are  so  terrific  that  they  will 
take  things  weighing  two  or  three  hundred  pounds  that  happen  to  be  on 
deck,  under  the  muzzle,  and  waft  them  overboard  as  lightly  as  though 
they  were  pieces  of  paper.  Only  that  morning  I  saw  a  large  chest 
filled  with  paint,  and  which  had  been  buckled  to  the  deck,  swished  over 
board  by  the  fire  of  one  of  the  eight-inch  guns. 

It  was  at  the  time  that  the  Oregon  knocked  the  flag  off  the  Morro, 
that  Commodore  Schley,  slapping  his  hands  with  enthusiasm,  and  say- 


BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE  293 

ing,  "By  George!  their  flag  is  down,"  stepped  out  too  close  to  an  eight- 
inch  gun  muzzle  and  was  forcibly  hauled  back  by  Mason  and  Sears  just 
in  time  to  save  him. 

A  SPANISH  GUNBOAT  APPEARS  IN  THE  ENTRANCE 

During  the  morning  following  the  bombardment,  we  noticed  that  a 
little  Spanish  gunboat  was  puffing  around  the  harbor  entrance  in  a  very 
lively  style ;  but  as  she  did  not  attempt  to  interfere  with  the  wreck  of 
the  Merrimac,  no  order  was  issued  to  fire  upon  her.  From  what  tran 
spired  afterward,  it  was  pretty  evident  that  she  was  hauling  in  the  log 
and  chain  obstruction  which  the  Spanish  had  put  across  the  harbor  to 
prohibit  the  entrance  of  our  torpedo  boat,  and  also,  probably,  removing 
some  of  the  mines,  so  that  the  Spanish  fleet  could  come  out.  We  had 
two  or  three  disabled  five-inch  guns  on  the  Brooklyn,  while  we  noticed 
that  the  Iowa  had  reported  that  her  forward  twelve-inch  turret  was  out 
of  commission,  and  we  spent  most  of  the  morning  in  fixing  ours,  finally 
getting  them  in  usable,  although  not  very  excellent  shape,  there  being 
some  defect  in  the  construction  of  the  mounts. 

COMMODORE  SCHLEY  CONVINCED  OF  AN  AGGRESSIVE  MOVEMENT 

Early  in  the  afternoon  a  group  of  us  sat  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
Brooklyn,  discussing  the  situation,  and  the  bombardment  of  the  morn 
ing,  and  watching  carefully  through  our  glasses  to  see  whether  the 
Spaniards  would  make  any  attempt  to  restore  their  partially  destroyed 
batteries.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we  noticed  that  smoke 
was  rising  in  the  harbor,  and  toward  four  o'clock  it  became  so  dense, 
and  rose  through  the  still  air  in  such  perfectly  defined  columns,  that 
there  was  no  possible  doubt  but  that  the  Spanish  squadron  was  firing 
up.  This  was  the  first  mark  of  activity  that  they  had  shown  since  we 
had  come  there.  At  about  five  o'clock,  this  evident  firing-up  continu- 


294  BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE 

ing,  Commodore  Schley  said  to  Captain  Cook,  "  Cook,  those  fellows  in 
there  are  either  getting  ready  to  come  out,  or  else  they  are  preparing 
to  move  around  the  harbor  into  more  advantageous  positions  so  as  to 
enfilade  the  hills  with  rapid  gun  fire  if  the  American  troops  attempt  to 
come  over  to  take  the  city."  Shortly  after  five  o'clock,  so  firmly  con 
vinced  did  the  Commodore  become  that  some  aggressive  movement 
was  contemplated  by  the  Spanish  fleet,  that  he  called  alongside  of  us 
the  converted  yacht  Vixen,  and  told  Commander  Sharpe,  who  was  in 
command  of  her,  to  notify  Admiral  Sampson  that  there  were  extremely 
suspicious  movements  in  the  harbor.  The  little  yacht  hurried  away  on 
her  quite  lengthy  journey,  because  it  was  a  matter  of  about  six  miles 
for  her  to  scurry  across  the  fleet  and  find  Admiral  Sampson  at  the  other 
end.  Each  ship  in  the  squadron  was  one-half  mile  from  its  neighbor, 
so  this  semi-circle  of  war  vessels  was  about  fifteen  miles  around,  the 
New  York  and  the  Brooklyn  being  at  opposite  ends,  and  between  nine 
and  ten  miles  apart.  She  returned  later  in  the  evening,  after  dark,  and 
before  taking  her  blockading  station  megaphoned,  as  she  had  mega 
phoned  every  other  ship  in  the  squadron  as  she  passed,  that  Admiral 
Sampson  desired  an  extremely  careful  watch  to  be  kept,  and  for  the 
ships  to  stay  in  as  close  as  possible  during  the  night. 

A  GREAT  DEAL  OF  SIGNALING  DURING  THE  NIGHT 

A  close  watch  was  kept  that  night,  but  beyond  the  fact  that  the 
smokes  of  the  vessels  that  were  firing  up  could  be  seen,  and  that  there 
appeared  to  be  a  great  deal  of  signaling  going  on  by  flashlights  between 
the  forts  on  Morro  and  the  ships  in  the  harbor,  nothing  of  unusual 
character  was  observed  in  the  entrance  itself.  Hardly  had  darkness 
fallen,  however,  and  the  heavy  mist  enshrouded  the  island  of  Cuba,  than 
it  was  observed  that  signal  fires  of  some  character  were  burning  on  the 
hills  to  the  west  of  Morro.  First  one  was  lighted  on  the  high  crest 


BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE  297 

near  the  La  Socapa  battery,  and  there  was  an  answering  flashlight,  at 
least  so  it  seemed  to  us,  from  the  ships  in  the  harbor  and  the  signal 
station  on  top  of  Morro.  Then  a  blaze  gleamed  up  in  the  west,  six 
or  eight  miles  away,  and  still  later  others  formed  a  connecting  chain  of 
fire  between  the  first  and  last. 

INDICATIONS  THAT  SPANISH  FLEET  WERE  COMING  OUT 

Lieutenant-Commander  Mason,  who  was  sitting  on  the  quarter 
deck  with  us,  and  Captain  Cook,  both  expressed  the  opinion  that  these 
fires  were  intended  as  signals  to  the  fleet  in  the  harbor,  notifying  them 
perhaps  of  the  disposition  of  our  hostile  fleet  on  the  outside.  Commo 
dore  Schley  did  not  agree  with  him.  He  thought  that  the  Cubans  from 
the  west,  under  the  command  of  General  Jesus  Rabi,  were  coming  down 
toward  Santiago,  and  that  as  they  drove  the  Spaniards  back,  the  latter 
were  burning  the  blockhouses.  But  despite  this  divergence  of  opinion 
between  the  officers,  one  thing  was  thoroughly  agreed  upon,  and  that  was 
that  the  fleet  of  the  enemy,  in  either  event,  was  making  preparations 
to  come  out  of  the  harbor,  for,  naturally,  if  the  Cubans  and  American 
troops  captured  the  city,  they  would  make  the  place  untenable  for  the 
Spanish  fleet. 

SEARCHLIGHTS  BRIGHTEN  THE  HARBOR  ENTRANCE 

All  night  long  the  two  glaring  white  eyes  of  the  flashlights  kept  the 
harbor  illumined,  so  that  no  possible  attempt  at  escape  could  be  made 
by  the  Spanish  inside,  but  there  was  no  movement  of  any  sort, 
although  from  the  description  given  by  Spanish  officers  it  is  claimed  that 
they  had  first  contemplated  coming  out  that  night,  and  that  it  was  not 
until  midnight  that  Admiral  Cervera  finally  notified  the  captains  of  the 
various  vessels  that  he  would  wait  until  daylight  to  make  the  attack. 

So  without  incident  Sunday  morning,  July  the  3d,  came.    It  was  as 

14 


298  BEFORE  THE  BATTLE 

monotonous  in  its  birth  as  had  been  the  preceding  days  and  Sundays 
during  that  long  blockade.  Just  six  Sundays  before  Commodore  Schley 
had  discovered  the  Spanish  fleet  in  the  harbor,  while  just  four  Sundays 
prior  to  that  Admiral  Dewey  had  captured  or  destroyed  the  Spanish 
fleet  in  Manila  bay.  It  seemed  to  be  America's  province  to  make 
Sunday  a  fatal  day  for  the  Spanish. 

Perhaps  it  was  because  of  our  long  stay  here  that  we  found  little 
to  admire  in  the  Cuban  landscape,  or  the  picture  at  sea.  Earlier  in 
the  campaign  we  found  in  sunsets  and  sunrises,  in  the  cool  of  the  night, 
and  the  warmth  of  the  noon-day,  some  few  evidences  of  the  picturesque 
as  described  in  our  primers  and  geographies :  but  as  a  plain  matter  of 
fact,  it  is  a  picturesqueness  that  exists,  in  but  a  small  degree  off  the 
coast  of  southern  Cuba.  And  so  the  morning  came,  with  the  star-lit  night, 
like  other  star-lit  nights,  extinguished  by  a  sudden  rush  of  gray,  a 
moving  av/ay  quickly  of  the  curtain  of  darkness,  and  the  appearance 
of  the  hot  sun  clear  above  the  horizon  without  a  single  parti-colored 
herald  like  that  which  marks  our  beautiful  sunrise  in  the  North. 
The  sun  does  not  rise,  in  Cuba.  It  jumps  above  the  horizon,  as  if  there 
were  a  mystical  hand  upon  an  electric  lever  that  brings  it  up,  while  at 
the  same  time  it  extinguishes  the  myriads  of  stars.  This  day  it  paled 
the  brilliant  gems  on  the  masts  of  the  warships,  and  compelled  the  signal 
men  using  them  to  resort  to  the  colored  flags  as  a  medium  for  com 
munication. 

WATCHING  THE  HARBOR  ENTRANCE 

We  were  all  on  deck  early,  and  our  first  glances  were  naturally 
directed  toward  the  Cuban  coast,  because  we  could  not  see  as  yet  the 
harbor  entrance,  for  in  the  early  morning,  especially  at  that  time  of  the 
year,  just  preceding  the  rainy  season,  Cuba  looked  like  a  huge  fog  bank — 
a  surging,  rolling  wave  of  tinted  mist,  in  which  the  huge,  shapeless  mass 
of  the  island  had  sunk  and  seemed  drowned,  while  out  beyond  it  on  the 


BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE  299 

one  side  was  the  clear  blue  of  a  southern  sky,  and  the  shining  ribbon  of 
barely  moving  water. 

OLD  MORRO  GUARDING  THE  STRIP  OF  BLUE  WATER 

Slowly  the  bank  of  white  clouds  wavered  and  changed  in  tone  as 
the  sun  crept  higher,  and  then  we  standing  on  the  Brooklyn's  deck, 
striving  with  glasses  to  pierce  its  dense  masses,  began  to  see  a  feathery, 
snowy  mass  of  foam  curling  along  the  line  of  shining  beach,  and  a  few 
moments  later  the  edge  of  the  mist  took  a  tinge  of  green  as  the  foliage  of 
the  lower  hills  began  to  show.  Suddenly  a  light  breeze  blew  in  off  the 
ocean,  and  the  mist  curtain  wavered,  and  then  parted,  disclosing  the 
outlines  of  the  battery  on  the  left  and  the  grim  walls  of  old  Morro  on 
the  right,  sturdily  guarding  the  strip  of  blue  water  which  ran  between. 
Still  lingering  about  the  higher  buttresses  of  Morro,  in  clouds  of  white, 
tinged  with  rose  and  gold,  at  last  the  mist  disappeared,  and  from  a  glorious 
blue  sky  the  sun  beat  hotly  down,  making  us  seek  the  shade  of  the 
tiny  awning  stretched  over  the  quarter-deck. 

THE  LINE  OF  BATTLE  SOMEWHAT  BROKEN 

It  was  just  such  a  morning,  this  day  preceding  the  Union's  national 
birthday,  as  was  the  morning  five  weeks  before,  when,  sitting  on  the 
after-bridge  of  the  Brooklyn,  Commodore  Schley  saw  the  fleet  of 
Cervera  in  the  harbor,  and  made  to  me  the  caustic  remark:  "They  will 
never  get  home."  The  sun  crept  up  to  where  it  compelled  you  for 
safety,  if  not  for  comfort,  to  avoid  its  rays ;  and  on  all  the  ships  prepara 
tions  were  made  to  add  one  more  day  to  the  monotonous  count  that 
figured  up  five  long  weeks. 

The  line  of  battle  was  somewhat  broken  this  morning.  The  New 
Orleans,  protected  cruiser;  the  Newark,  unprotected  cruiser  and  flag 
ship  of  Commodore  Watson ;  and  the  Suwanee,  a  converted  lighthouse 


300  BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE 

tender,  had  all  gone  to  Guantanamo,  forty  miles  to  the  west,  the  after 
noon  before,  to  coal,  and  it  was  therefore  very  much  to  our  surprise  that 
we  noticed  the  battleship  Massachusetts  had  also  left,  in  the  face  of  the 
fact  that  for  the  first  time  since  we  had  been  there  there  had  been  sus 
picious  movements  in  the  harbor.  In  response  to  a  query  from  Commo 
dore  Schley,  the  officer  of  the  deck  said  that  the  Massachusetts  had  left 
the  line  at  daybreak,  signaling  that  she  was  going  down  to  Guantanamo 
to  coal.  At  8:45  our  surprise  and  wonderment  were  increased  by  see 
ing  the  New  York  fly  the  signal,  "Disregard  the  movements  of  the 
Commander-in-Chief,"  and  quickly  move  away  to  the  east.  We  had 
heard  the  day  before  that  it  was  Admiral  Sampson's  intention  to  hold  a 
conference  with  General  Shafter,  but  we  could  hardly  conceive  that  in 
the  face  of  the  movements  in  the  harbor  he  was  taking  away  the  fast 
New  York  to  accomplish  that  errand  when  he  had  so  many  smaller 
boats  to  which  he  could  transfer  his  flag.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
the  Brassey  Naval  Annual,  upon  which  we  depended  for  our  information 
as  to  ships,  credited  the  Spanish  vessels  in  the  harbor  with  greater 
speed  than  any  of  our  ships  except  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  so  we 
watched  the  New  York  closely  with  our  glasses  as  she  moved  to  the 
east  until  at  9:20  she  was  entirely  out  of  sight  and  out  of  signal  distance. 

SCHLEY  NOW  IN  COMMAND  OF  FLEET 

In  the  absence  of  Commodore  Watson,  who  was  at  Guantanamo 
with  the  Newark,  coaling,  and  the  retirement  beyond  signal  distance  of 
Admiral  Sampson,  the  command  of  the  American  fleet  now  devolved 
upon  Commodore  Schley.  The  departure  of  the  New  York  and  the 
depletion  of  the  line  of  battle  by  that  ship's  absence,  coupled  also  with 
the  absence  of  the  Massachusetts,  the  New  Orleans,  and  the  Newark, 
and  the  torpedo  boat  Ericsson,  furnished  us,  together  with  the  fact  that 
the  suspicious  movements  in  the  harbor  were  still  continuing,  with  a 


^SS^^SM 

?-*&+  'S  ¥<*&*"*  x  •  Y+£ 


BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE  303 

plethora  of  early  morning  gossip.  But  this  did  not  deter  Captain  Cook 
from  holding  general  muster,  and  ordering  Lieutenant-Commander 
Mason  to  summon  officers  and  crew  to  the  quarter-deck. 

HOW  HE  LOOKED  BEFORE  THE  GREAT  BATTLE 

Dressed  in  a  pair  of  white  duck  trousers,  a  shabby  blue  coat,  and 
an  officer's  white  summer  hat,  with  no  insignia  of  rank  upon  him, 
Commodore  Schley  braced  his  white-shod  feet  against  the  hatch  comb 
ing,  tilted  his  chair  back,  plucked  rather  nervously  at  his  imperial,  and 
remarked,  "This  is  pretty  slow." 

Over  the  water  from  the  Texas  came  a  sweet  bugle  call  to  church, 
and  the  bell  tolled  softly.  Three  bells  clanged  out  on  the  Brooklyn,  and 
Captain  Cook  and  Executive-Officer  Mason,  both  wearing  their  swords, 
came  on  the  quarter-deck.  "We're  going  to  have  general  muster," 
said  Captain  Cook,  in  response  to  the  inquiring  look  of  the  Commodore, 
and  the  men  began  gathering  in  their  various  divisions.  General  mus 
ter  is  compulsory  every  month  in  the  Navy,  and  the  solemn  act  of 
reading  the  Articles  of  War  is  gone  through  with  in  a  perfunctory  sort 
of  way.  A  look  through  the  glasses  showed  on  all  the  ships  similar 
tableaux,  and  the  typical  quietude  of  Sunday  prevailed.  On  the  forward- 
bridge  Navigator  Hodgson  had  relieved  the  officer  of  the  deck,  and 
Quartermaster  Anderson  was  keeping  the  long  glass  trained  on  the  sus 
picious  smoke  just  back  of  the  high  hill  at  the  entrance. 

THE  BIG  WARSHIPS  ALL  MASSED  TO  THE  EAST 

At  this  time  the  big  warships  had  all  massed  to  the  east,  quite  a 
common  occurrence  for  early  morning.  The  western  part  of  the 
blockading  half  circle  consisted  of  the  second-class  battleship  Texas, 
the  flagship  Brooklyn,  and  the  small  converted-  yacht  Vixen.  The 
Texas  was  exactly  south  of  the  entrance,  which  points  southwest,  while 


304  BEFORE  THE  BA  TTLE 

the  Brooklyn  and  the  Vixen,  5,500  yards  to  the  west,  rolled  lazily  in 
the  swell  of  the  trade  wind  sea.  With  the  Texas  as  the  central  ship, 
the  east  was  beautifully  and  effectively  guarded  by  the  Iowa,  Indiana  and 
Oregon  battleships,  and  the  converted  yacht  Gloucester,  the  Gloucester 
nearest  shore.  The  Iowa  lay  at  least  half  a  mile  beyond  the  curve  of 
the  circle,  and,  glasses  in  hand,  I  remember  calling  Commodore  Schley's 
attention  to  it.  He  answered:  "I  understand  her  forward  twelve-inch 
turret  is  broken,  and  they  are  probably  trying  to  fix  it."  I  remember 
also  noticing  that  the  Gloucester  was  very  close  in  to  shore,  and  that, 
while  the  eastern  end  of  the  line  was  so  formidable  that  no  tactician 
with  common  sense  would  have  attempted  to  pass  it,  there  were  open 
ings  to  the  west  on  both  sides  of  the  Brooklyn  that  must  have  offered 
tempting  invitation  to  a  foe  desirous  of,  and  eagerly  looking  for,  a  chance 
to  escape.  It  must  also  be  remembered  that  the  plan  was  of  immobility, 
the  ships  pointing  their  noses  toward  the  entrance  but  not  moving,  and 
therefore  allowing  a  fleeing  enemy  a  chance  to  gain  a  great  advantage 
in  a  flying  start. 

NONE  OF  THE  SHIPS  HAD  UP  FULL  STEAM 

Thus,  four  American  battleships,  the  Iowa,  Oregon,  Texas  and 
Indiana,  with  the  armored  cruiser  Brooklyn,  formed  the  guard,  with 
the  two  converted  yachts,  Gloucester  and  Vixen,  as  pickets.  Of  the 
ships  of  battle  the  Indiana  could  not  exceed  a  speed  of  nine  knots,  and 
her  forward  thirteen-inch  turret  was  out  of  order,  the  guns  incapacitated; 
the  Iowa  had  steam  up  but  for  five  knots,  and  was  also  having  trouble 
with  her  forward  twelve-inch  turret,  and  the  Brooklyn  had  had  some  of 
her  five-inch  guns  badly  strained  by  the  bombardment  of  the  day  before. 
None  of  the  ships  had  steam  for  more  than  ten  knots  and  the  Brooklyn's 
forward  engines  were  uncoupled. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
"THE  ENEMT  IS  ESCAPING" 

AFTER-BRIDGE,  there!  Report  to  the  Commodore  and  the 
Captain  that  the  enemy's  ships  are  coming  out." 
It  was  the  stentorian  voice  of  Navigator  Hodgson  calling  through 
the  megaphone  from  the  forward-bridge  to  the  signal  officer  of  the  after- 
bridge.  There  was  no  need  for  the  after-bridge  to  repeat  it.  For  an 
instant  it  had  turned  everybody  into  living  statues,  but  only  for  an 
instant.  Then  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason's  strident  tones  called, 
as  he  himself  rushed  toward  the  forward-deck,  "Clear  ship  for  action!" 
and  the  clanging  bells  notified  those  below  of  the  summons  to  battle, 
while  the  orderly  mass  of  men,  ranged  around  the  sides  of  the  quarter 
deck  for  inspection,  became  a  tumbling,  scrambling  heap  of  enthusiasts, 

ready  for  the  fray. 

SMOKE  IN  THE  ENTRANCE 

Hodgson  had  been  on  the  bridge  for  about  ten  minutes,  and  he  and 
Quartermaster  Anderson  were  taking  the  bearings  of  the  Morro  so  as 
to  move  the  ship  to  its  proper  day  position.  Anderson  had  the  long 
glass,  and  after  looking  carefully  said  to  Lieutenant  Hodgson,  "The 
smoke  looks  as  if  it  was  moving  toward  the  entrance,  sir."  "Give  me 
the  glass,"  said  the  Navigator,  and,  fixing  it  on  the  hazy  smoke  in  the 
entrance,  he  took  a  long  look.  Anderson  caught  the  glass  as  it  fell,  or 
it  would  have  been  smashed,  while  Hodgson,  picking  up  the  megaphone, 
yelled,  "After-bridge,  there!  Report  to  the  Commodore  and  the  Captain 
that  the  enemy's  ships  are  coming  out." 

305 


303  THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING 

Commodore  Schley  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant,  and  reaching 
over  back  of  me  to  where  his  binoculars  lay  on  the  steel  hatchway 
cover,  as  he  grabbed  them  up  he  exclaimed,  "Come  on,  my  boy.  We'll 
give  it  to  them  now." 

CLEAR  SHIP  FOR  ACTION 

Captain  Cook  was  standing  just  at  the  head  of  the  stairway  leading 
to  the  cabin,  and  as  he  heard  Mason's  ringing  tones,  "Clear  ship," 
he  dove  down  into  his  room,  threw  off  his  uniform  coat  and  hat,  tore  off 
his  collar,  tumbled  into  an  old  black  alpaca  coat  and  a  round  linen 
sailor's  hat,  and  in  a  jiffy  was  back  on  the  deck  again,  issuing  orders. 

The  Commodore  sprang  forward  through  the  superstructure,  elbow 
ing  his  way  among  the  men,  who  in  their  excitement  and  delight  were 
paying  little  attention  to  rank  or  station.  He  was  making  for  the  little 
bridge  around  the  conning  tower. 

I  followed  him  closely,  and  as  he  passed  the  after-bridge  heard  him 
call  to  Ensign  McCauley,  "Signal,  The  enemy  is  escaping."  Lieuten 
ant  Sears,  who  was  near,  shouted  back,  "We  have  already  done  so, 
sir!"  and  Schley,  as  he  hurried  through  the  gallery  toward  the  fore 
castle,  answered:  "Signal  the  fleet  to  clear  ship." 

THE  IOWA  OPENS  THE  BATTLE 

As  he  climbed  the  ladder  to  the  forecastle,  I  remember  his  pulling 
out  my  watch,  which  I  had  loaned  him,  and  saying  to  me,  "It's  just  9:35 
o'clock."  Just  as  we  reached  the  point  of  vantage,  a  wooden  platform 
two  feet  high  elevated  around  the  conning  tower,  there  came  the  sharp 
detonation  of  a  six-pounder  and  we  saw  from  the  smoke  that  the  Iowa 
had  fired  the  first  shot  and  was  flying  the  signal,  "The  enemy  is  escap 
ing,"  having  run  it  up  several  seconds  before  the  Brooklyn  served  the 
same  notice.  Following  quickly  the  warning  of  the  Iowa,  the  doughty 
Texas  opened  with  a  big  twelve-inch  shot;  and,  as  Captain  Cook 


THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING  309 

shouted  to  the   quartermaster,    "Full  speed  ahead,"  the  Brooklyn's 
forward  eight-inch  guns  boomed  out. 

THE   NEW  YORK  OUT  OF  SIGHT 

"Can  you  see  the  flagship?"  shouted  Schley  to  Navigator  Hodgson 
and  Quartermaster  Anderson,  who  were  on  the  bridge,  and  Anderson, 
who  was  using  the  long  glass,  swept  the  eastern  horizon  with  it,  and 
called  back,  "No,  sir.  The  New  York  is  out  of  sight." 

Just  then  Lieutenant  Simpson  popped  his  head  up  out  of  the 
forward  eight-inch  turret,  from  which  he  had  fired  his  first  gun  a  moment 
before,  and  called  to  the  Commodore,  "Did  that  one  hit,  sir?" 

SCHLEY  GIVES  ORDERS  TO  FIRE  DELIBERATELY 

"I  couldn't  see,  Simpson,"  answered  the  Commodore,  "but  keep 
at  them.  Tell  your  bullies  to  give  them  hell!"  then,  turning  to  Captain 
Cook,  who  was  now  at  his  elbow,  he  added,  "Cook,  tell  your  men  to  fire 
deliberately,  and  don't  waste  a  shot." 

Here  we  were  in  action.  From  the  time  of  Lieutenant  Hodgson's 
announcement  to  the  time  of  the  boom  of  the  Brooklyn's  guns  was 
barely  three  minutes,  and  what  to  a  layman  seemed  the  direst  pande 
monium  and  disorder  was  the  finest  of  discipline  and  the  acme  of  order. 
That  men  flew  by  dropping  their  shirts  from  their  backs  as  they  ran, 
that  orders  came  thick  and  fast,  and  that  men  and  officers  seemed 
tumbling  over  one  another  was  no  criterion.  That  every  gun  was  ready 
to  shoot;  that  fire  had  been  started  under  four  fresh  boilers;  that  every 
battle  hatch  had  been  lowered;  that  every  water-tight  compartment  was 
closed;  that  ammunition  was  ready  for  the  reloading  of  the  guns;  that 
the  fire  pumps  were  on  and  the  decks  wet  down,  and  that  every  man 
of  500  was  in  the  place  assigned  to  him  for  battle,  completes  an  indis 
putably  wonderful  accomplishment. 


310  THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING 

Turning  so  as  to  fire  her  port  battery,  the  Brooklyn  moved  northeast 
toward  the  harbor  entrance,  while  the  big  battleships,  somewhat  slower 
in  their  movements,  pointed  straight  in.  Glasses  in  hand,  Commodore 
Schley  tried  to  make  out  the  enemy's  ships.  It  was  a  trying  and  nerve- 
destroying  moment.  The  terrific  effect  of  the  eight-inch  gun  fire  on 
one's  eardrums,  the  distressing  taste  of  the  saltpetre,  the  blinding  effect 
of  the  dense  smoke,  and  the  whiz  of  projectiles  of  the  enemy  in  close 
proximity,  all  were  forgotten,  and  we  stared  through  our  bedimmed 
glasses  at  the  entrance  full  of  smoke  from  the  enemy's  funnels  and  our 
exploding  shells,  a  yellow  mass  at  which  the  first  terrible  fire  of  the 
American  ships  was  directed  with  such  frightful  effect.  Out  of  the 
midst  of  it  there  suddenly  projected  a  black,  glistening  hull,  the  position 
of  which  showed  it  to  be  pointing  westward.  Would  the  others  follow,  or 
would  they  break  through  at  different  points?  Still  the  frightful  fire  of 
the  ships  continued,  and  flashes  of  brilliancy  from  the  mass  of  smoke  in 
the  entrance  showed  that  the  enemy  had  opened.  The  western  battery 
on  the  crown  of  the  hill  v/as  also  dropping  shot  to  the  westward. 

THE  SPANISH  FLEET  ALL  OUT  OF  THE  HARBOR 

At  Commodore  Schley's  elbow  stood  Flag-Lieutenant  Sears,  also 
with  glasses  glued  to  his  eyes.  For  a  minute  the  pall  of  smoke  rose, 
and  then  Lieutenant  Sears  exclaimed:  "They  are  all  out,  and  coming  to 
the  westward,  Commodore!" 

"Yes,"  answered  this  cool  commandant,  "and  the  torpedo  boats  are 
with  them."  Then  turning  to  Captain  Cook,  he  said:  "Have  your 
rapid  fire  guns  ready  for  those  fellows,  Cook,"  and  the  Captain,  smiling, 
pointed  to  the  guns  where  the  men  were  already  firing.  It  was  just 
9:45,  and  Ensign  McCauley  hoisted  the  signal  to  the  fleet  to  "Close 
up,"  following  it  quickly  with  another  one  ordered  by  the  Commodore, 
and  reading,  "Follow  the  flag." 


THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING  311 

The  Maria  Teresa,  the  Viscaya,  the  Colon,  and  the  Oquendo  were 
now  in  plain  view,  in  the  order  named,  with  the  torpedo  boats  Furor 
and  Pluton  following. 

SPANISH  SHIPS  REGALLY  DRESSED 

As  we  keenly  studied  the  ships  through  our  glasses  we  saw  what 
probably  has  not  been  witnessed  since  the  days  of  the  Armada,  ships 
coming  out  for  deadly  battle,  but  dressed  as  for  a  regal  parade  or  a  festal 
day.  From  their  shining  black  hulls,  with  huge  golden  figureheads 
bearing  the  crest  and  coat-of-arms  of  Spain,  to  the  tops  of  their  masts 
where  fluttered  proudly  the  immense  silken  flags,  bearing  in  the  heaviest 
of  gold  bullion  the  Spanish  insignia  which  glittered  bravely  in  the  morn 
ing  sunlight,  to  the  brightly  colored  awnings  over  their  decks,  they 
bespoke  luxury  and  chivalry,  and  a  proud  defiance  of  America's  newer 
sea  power.  If  death  and  defeat  were  to  come,  they  would  be  met  gal 
lantly,  grandly,  the  nation  whose  naval  prowess  has  been  sung  in  song 
and  story  never  seeking  concealment  by  doffing  a  single  iota  of  her 
pomp  or  pageant. 

THE  BROOKLYN  IN  A  DESPERATE  SITUATION 

Suddenly  we  were  startled  by  a  realization  that  the  situation  for  the 
Brooklyn  now  seemed  desperate.  The  great  ship  was  pointing  and 
moving  directly  toward  the  Spanish  ships  coming  out  to  the  west. 
Every  inclination,  had  a  decision  been  made  suddenly,  was  to  turn  in 
the  same  direction,  to  the  west,  to  head  them  off.  But  had  this  inclina 
tion  been  followed,  the  Brooklyn's  starboard  side  would  have  been  so 
placed  that  any  one  of  the  Spanish  fleet  would  have  been  able  to  ram 
and  sink  her,  or  torpedo  her,  with  the  same  fatal  result. 

"Much  will  depend  upon  this  ship  this  day,  Cook,"  said  Commo 
dore  Schley,  as  he  noticed  that  all  four  of  the  Spanish  vessels  were 


312  THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING 

making  good  speed  and  that  none  of  our  own  ships  were  very  close  to 
us.  "Don't  risk  a  torpedo  attack.  Keep  well  in  but  keep  out  of  their 
effective  range."  The  Commodore  was  as  cool  as  an  iceberg  as  he 
made  these  suggestions  to  Cook,  and  the  hand  that  raised  the  glass  to 
his  eyes  never  trembled,  as  he  watched  intently  to  see  how  we  could 
best  move  to  keep  in  the  action  and  yet  not  permit  the  enemy  to  carry 
out  what  was  evidently  their  intention,  the  destruction  of  the  Brooklyn. 

THE  VISCAYA  POINTING  TO  RAM  BROOKLYN 

Captain  Cook  was  watching  the  enemy  with  equal  anxiety,  for  we 
were  now  getting  into  a  position  where  if  we  turned  in  toward  the  shore 
we  were  liable  to  run  in  between  the  Spanish  line  of  battle  and  the  surf. 
Suddenly  Lieutenant  Sears,  who  had  his  glasses  fixed  on  the  Viscaya, 
said,  "The  Viscaya  is  pointing  out  to  ram  us,  sir." 

Sharply  Schley  swung  around  from  his  examination  of  the  leading 
ship,  the  Maria  Teresa,  and  looked  at  the  Viscaya.  She  was  certainly 
pulling  out  from  the  line  of  vessels  toward  us,  while  the  Colon  was 
pointing  in  toward  the  shore.  Sharp  and  clear  came  the  order,  "Put 
your  helm  hard  aport,  Cook." 

THE  BROOKLYN  NOW  MOVES  TO  STARBOARD 

"It  is  hard  aport,  sir,"  said  Captain  Cook,  who  had  evidently  antici 
pated  the  order  or  else  was  following  out  the  first  order  given  to  him,  to 
keep  the  ship  away  from  torpedo  attack.  The  Brooklyn  now  began  to 
move  around  to  starboard,  turning  a  circle  away  from  the  enemy. 

"Hadn't  we  better  back  on  our  starboard  engine?"  said  Navigator 
Hodgson,  and  Commodore  Schley  answered  sharply,  "No,  we'll  lose 
headway.  We  must  get  around  quickly."  Turning  on  her  heel,  in  a 
short  circle  moved  the  Brooklyn,  her  port  side  a  perfect  mass  of  flame 
and  smoke,  as  the  six  eight-inch,  six  five-inch,  and  eight  six-pounders 


THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING  315 

belched  forth  the  deadly  shot.     Then,  as  she  swung  toward  the  four 
Spanish  ships,  her  starboard  battery  opened,  and  the  din  was  terrific. 

"Tell  the  men  at  the  guns  to  fire  deliberately  and  make  every  shot 
tell,"  called  Schley  to  Captain  Cook,  and  out  of  the  choking  smoke  and 
fire  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason  could  be  heard  quietly  instructing 
the  men  in  the  turrets  as  to  the  distance.  The  Brooklyn  had  described 
a  perfect  circle,  and  although  under  a  deluge  of  shot  and  shell,  practi 
cally  uninjured,  pointed  west  and  began  her  famous  fight.  The  Colon 
could  be  seen  sneaking  up  behind  the  Spanish  line,  as  if  intent  upon 
getting  away,  while  the  Oquendo  and  Maria  Teresa,  evidently  striving 
vainly  to  shield  the  torpedo  boats,  were  receiving  a  most  horrible 
baptism  of  shot  and  shell. 

THE  OREGON  COMING  TO  HELP  THE  BROOKLYN 

As  we  got  fully  around  we  were  pointing  to  the  west,  almost  side 
by  side  with  the  Maria  Teresa,  the  Colon  inside  of  her,  the  Viscayajust 
behind  the  Spanish  flagship,  and  the  Oquendo  last  of  all,  starting  to 
burn  and  evidently  in  trouble.  Looking  back  we  saw,  instead  of  what 
we  expected — our  own  ships  in  fighting  array — simply  a  heavy  pall  of 
smoke,  and  not  an  American  ship  in  view.  Schley  turned  around  and 
grimly  said  to  Captain  Cook,  "Well,  Cook,  we'll  have  to  stay  alone  with 
this  crowd."  But  just  then,  out  from  the  curtain  of  smoke  there  came 
a  mighty  foam-crested  wave,  and  after  it  a  flash  of  immense  brilliancy, 
followed  by  the  roar  which  spoke  for  a  thirteen-inch  gun.  It  was  the 
Oregon,  and  as  our  men  and  officers  saw  it,  they  yelled  with  delight. 
Over  her  low  freeboard  broke  the  surging  waters  that  she  pushed  aside 
in  her  mighty  race,  and  they  dashed  up  against  her  great  steel  turret, 
under  the  mouths  of  the  big  thirteen-inch  guns  that  were  hurling  death 
and  defiance  at  the  enemy.  She  was  coming  to  help  the  Brooklyn  in 
her  terribly  unequal  struggle  with  these  four  great  Spanish  cruisers,  and 
every  shot  that  she  was  firing  seemed  to  be  taking  effect. 


310  THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING 

And,  then,  as  the  smoke  blew  away  a  little  more,  we  saw,  following 
up  the  Oregon,  the  Texas,  the  poor  old  "hoodoo"  of  the  Navy,  but  which 
this  day  was  to  disprove  her  maligners  and,  next  to  the  Brooklyn  and 
the  Oregon,  do  more  than  any  of  the  other  ships  to  destroy  the  Spanish 
fleet. 

"Clark  and  Philip  are  with  us,"  said  Schley  with  a  smile,  "and  we'll 
lick  the  Dons  yet,"  and,  as  if  to  prove  his  words  the  broadside  from  the 
Brooklyn  crashed  into  the  Maria  Teresa,  while  at  the  same  instant  the 
Oregon,  firing  at  her  "from  behind,  put  a  large  shell  along  her  superstruc 
ture,  fairly  raking  her. 

THE  VISCAYA  NOW  ENGAGED  THE  BROOKLYN 

The  sides  of  both  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon  were  now  lurid 
masses  of  flame,  so  fast  were  the  guns  worked,  and  despite  the  fact  that 
the  Oquendo  and  the  Maria  Teresa  both  showed  the  effect  of  the  terrible 
fire  to  which  they  had  been  subjected  as  they  passed  the  Indiana  and 
the  Iowa,  they  were  answering  well.  The  Oquendo  and  the  Teresa  were 
evidently  attempting  to  shield  the  Colon,  which  was  running  in,  close  to 
the  shore,  and  making  great  speed  in  her  efforts  to  escape,  while  the 
Viscaya  had  picked  the  Brooklyn  out  for  her  prey,  and  was  putting  up 
the  greatest  fight  of  the  day. 

Dimly  through  the  pall  of  smoke  behind  us  we  could  see  the  two 
torpedo  boats  engaged  in  mortal  combat  with  the  doughty  Gloucester. 

TWO  SPANISH  SHIPS  ON  FIRE  RUN  FOR  THE  SHORE 

The  first  gun  had  been  fired  at  9:40  o'clock,  and  at  10:22  o'clock 
the  Oquendo,  riddled  with  shells  from  every  vessel  of  our  fleet,  caught 
fire.  For  some  minutes  we  could  notice  the  men  on  her  deck  making 
efforts  to  extinguish  the  fires,  but  from  the  military  tops  and  the  super 
structures  of  every  warship  flying  the  American  flag  there  was  being 


THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING  317 

poured  onto  her  the  deadly  fire  of  small  projectiles  from  the  secondary 
batteries,  while  the  Texas  and  the  Iowa  were  dropping  big  shells  into  her. 
Just  about  the  time  the  Oquendo  caught  fire  and  started  for  shore, 
the  Oregon  and  the  Brooklyn  each  put  a  big  shell  in  the  Maria  Teresa, 
Cervera's  flagship,  and  she  too  began  to  burn,  and  at  10:31  o'clock  she 
turned  in  to  the  beach,  her  flag  still  flying,  and  we  continuing  to  fire 
at  her. 

SCHLEY  INFORMS  MEN  BELOW  OF  PROGRESS  OF  BATTLE 

Lieutenant  Sears,  however,  studying  her  through  his  glasses,  said, 
"Commodore,  she  has  evidently  surrendered,  but  she  can't  get  at  her 
flag  to  haul  it  down  because  of  the  fire,"  and  immediately  the  Commo 
dore  said  to  Captain  Cook,  "Stop  firing  on  that  ship.  Even  if  she  hasn't 
surrendered  the  other  ships  behind  will  take  care  of  her."  And  then,  as 
the  Commodore  heard  Captain  Cook  give  the  order  to  cease  firing  on  the 
Maria  Teresa,  he  said,  with  that  thoughtfulness  which  always  has  marked 
him,  "Tell  the  boys  below,  Captain,  that  we  have  got  two  of  them.  Keep 
them  informed  of  every  advantage.  They  can't  see,  and  it  will  cheer 
them  up." 

At  10:36,  just  after  the  two  ships  had  gone  ashore,  and  when  we 
began  to  fight  the  Viscaya  in  the  closest  action  of  the  day,  the  positions 
of  the  ships  of  our  own  squadron  were  particularly  favorable  to  the  enemy 
carrying  out  his  plan  of  escaping  with  at  least  one  or  two  ships.  Back 
through  the  mass  of  smoke  we  could  dimly  see  the  battleship  Indiana.  She 
had  had  some  trouble  with  her  engines  and  although  the  fight  had  been 
on  for  an  hour,  she  had  not  moved  more  than  a  mile  west  of  the  Morro. 
The  Iowa  had  followed  as  closely  as  she  could,  but  she  too  did  not  seem 
to  have  very  much  speed,  and  when  she  arrived  at  the  place  where  the 
Maria  Teresa  had  turned  ashore,  she  swung  in,  too,  as  if  to  assist  in  the 
rescue  of  the  Spaniards  who  might  have  survived. 

Both  of  these  American  ships  had  sent  a  perfect  rain  of  projectiles 


318  THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING 

into  the  harbor  entrance  as  the  ships  came  out,  but  their  lack  of  speed 
had  prevented  them  from  continuing  in  the  fight.  The  Texas  had 
moved  along  at  a  fairly  good  speed,  fighting  like  a  demon  under  com 
mand  of  Captain  Jack  Philip,  and  she  was  in  the  fight  up  to  the  time 
that  the  first  two  ships  ran  ashore. 

THE  OREGON  PROVED  HERSELF  A  WONDER 

The  Oregon  had  proved  herself  a  wonder.  She  had  started  away 
from  the  eastern  end  of  the  line,  and  Captain  Clark,  the  gallant  hero 
who  had  brought  the  ship  around  the  continent  in  daily  expectation  of 
meeting  the  Spanish  fleet,  having  seen  the  signal  "Follow  the  flag," 
displayed  from  the  Brooklyn,  and  realizing  that  the  turn  of  the  enemy 
to  the  westward  would  mean  the  destruction  of  the  Brooklyn  if  she 
were  not  assisted,  made  as  straight  after  her  as  he  could.  He  left  the 
Indiana  standing  still  as. if  she  were  anchored.  He  went  under  the 
stern  of  the  Iowa,  and  raced  by  her.  He  crossed  the  bow  of  the 
Texas,  for  an  instant  blanketing  her  fire,  but  his  own  guns  keeping  up  a 
tattoo  on  the  Spanish  ships,  and  he  was  amply  justified  in  the  risks  he 
took  with  the  ships  of  the  American  squadron,  for  he  arrived  just  in 
time  to  help  the  Brooklyn  out  of  a  bad  predicament.  And  of  course  we 
on  board  that  ship  were  glad  to  see  him,  for,  as  a  gunner's  mate  said  to 
me  after  we  had  cheered  her,  "Not  that  we  can't  lick  them,  but  it's 
good  to  have  help,"  and  I  agreed  with  him  very  cordially. 

CAPTAIN  OF  OREGON  DESCRIBES  THE  GREAT  RACE 

Captain  Clark  in  his  own  description  of  this  great  race  has  said: 

"When  we  discovered  the  Spanish  ships  coming  out,  our  fleet 

closed  in  at  once  to  attack  them,  each  ship  being  ordered  to  keep  ahead 

directly  tov/ard  the  harbor  entrance.     The   Spaniards  turned  to  the 

westward,  breaking   through  our  line   or  crossing  it,   and  our  ships 


THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING  321 

swung  off  to  the  westward  in  pursuit.  Both  sides  opened  fire  promptly 
and  fired  rapidly,  and  a  dense  smoke  soon  obscured  the  vessels,  making 
it  difficult  to  distinguish  them.  The  Oregon,  however,  ran  between  the 
Iowa  and  Texas  (the  next  ships  to  the  westward  in  our  line),  and  soon 
after  we  sighted  these  four  Spanish  ships  ahead,  apparently  uninjured 
at  the  time.  Just  then  the  smoke  lifted  or  broke  away  to  the  left,  and  I 
discovered  the  Brooklyn.  She  was  well  forward  of  our  port  beam; 
broadside  to  the  enemy's  fleet,  and  was  fighting  all  four  ships  alone.  It 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  me  to  find  her  there.  I  felt  that  we 
should  mutually  support  and  sustain  each  other,  and  that  a  battleship 
was  needed,  and  that  we  would  fight  the  fight  together.  The  Brooklyn's 
course  was  perhaps  a  little  divergent  from  ours,  because  the  Oregon 
was  attempting  to  draw  up  upon  the  Maria  Teresa;  but  the  Brooklyn 
and  Oregon  maintained  this  relative  position,  bow  and  quarter,  approxi 
mately,  to  the  end  of  the  battle.  The  Brooklyn  was  steaming  straight 
ahead,  as  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  and  engaging  all  the  Spanish  ships. 
The  Oregon  was  endeavoring  to  come  to  close  action  with  the  sternmost 
one,  and  when  she  was  driven  out  of  action  and  pointed  to  the  beach, 
the  Oregon  pushed  on  for  the  next  ahead,  and  so  on  until  the  entire  fleet 
was  driven  ashore,  burning  or  sinking." 

Speaking  of  passing  the  other  ships,  Captain  Clark  said: 

HOW  THE  OREGON  PASSED  THE  OTHER  SHIPS 

"The  Iowa,  when  I  first  saw  her,  was  steaming  in  toward  the 
entrance  of  the  harbor.  Her  position  was  a  little  to  the  westward  of 
that  of  the  Oregon,  and  at  first  she  seemed  to  be  advancing  faster  than 
we  were  in  the  Oregon.  It  seemed  that  she  was  gaining  ground  more 
toward  the  entrance  than  we  were,  and  I  thought  she  would  get  in  there 
considerably  ahead  of  the  Oregon.  Then  the  smoke  became  very  dense 
and  I  lost  sight  of  her,  but  I  could  see  the  Spanish  ships  as  they  came 


15 


322  THE  ENEMY  IS  ESCAPING 

out  and  turned  to  the  westward.  I  knew  that  they  were  turning  sharply 
that  way  and  that  I  would  not  get  to  the  entrance  in  time  to  strike  any 
of  them,  and  that,  therefore,  I  must  immediately  haul  to  the  westward. 
I  put  my  helm  hard  astarboard  and  sheered  off,  and  then  I  saw  the 
Iowa  again.  She  had  evidently  changed  her  course  to  the  westward 
very  sharply  at  almost  the  same  time,  and  I  was  fearful  she  would 
collide  with  us — that  she  would  swing  too  far.  I  therefore  put  my  helm 
hard  astarboard,  or  gave  the  order,  'Hard  astarboard,'  to  clear  her,  but 
we  went  by  her  and  I  saw  no  more  of  her  during  the  action. 

CLARK  AVOIDS  COLLISION  WITH  IOWA  AND  TEXAS 

"I  saw  the  Texas  just  after  passing  the  Iowa,  and  I  was  concerned 
about  striking  her.  I  was  just  clearing  the  Iowa  when  the  Texas  was 
reported  on  the  port  bow,  and  I  had  no  time  except  to  give  one  glance 
at  her,  and  then  to  give  the  order,  'Hard  aport.'  Then  I  had  to  jump 
over  on  the  other  side  to  see  if  I  was  going  to  clear  the  Iowa.  I  was 
afraid  my  speed  would  not  be  quite  sufficient  to  carry  me  by,  and  yet  I 
had  to  get  past,  and  I  really  cannot  tell  whether  I  saw  the  bow  or  stern 
of  the  Texas.  I  just  saw  this  great,  large  object  loom  up  out  of  the 
smoke,  and  I  knew  I  had  to  give  the  order  instantly  to  clear  her.  I 
knew  or  thought  I  would  swing  enough  to  clear  her,  but  it  might  carry 
me  into  the  Iowa,  which  I  had  just  had  on  my  starboard  beam  only  about 
a  ship's  length  off.  I  do  not  even  know  whether  the  Texas  was  pointed 
in  or  out." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  VISCAYA 

THE  fight  of  the  day  was  on  at  10:36  a.  m.  We  were  side  by  side 
with  the  Viscaya.  The  range  was  not  over  1,800  yards,  the 
closest  fighting  of  the  day  so  far,  and  the  nearest  ship  to  us  of  our  own 
squadron  was  the  Oregon,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  astern.  The  Colon 
was  between  the  Viscaya  and  the  shore,  but  clear  enough  of  her  so 
that  she  could  use  her  guns  on  us.  It  was  a  critical  moment  for  the 
Brooklyn.  The  Viscaya  had  larger  guns  and  thicker  armor  than  the 
Brooklyn,  and  she  was  known  to  be  commanded  by  Eulate,  one  of  the 
most  accomplished  and  bravest  men  in  Spain's  Navy.  This  was  the 
ship  that  had  been  brought  to  New  York  by  the  Spanish  government  for 
exhibition  purposes,  and  the  public  press  had  declared  that  she  was  far 
superior  to  our  cruisers,  the  New  York  and  the  Brooklyn. 

There  was  no  hesitancy,  however,  in  the  way  we  were  fighting  her. 
Lieutenant-Commander  Mason  was  rushing  from  turret  to  turret  and 
from  gun  sponson  to  gun  sponson,  giving  the  ranges,  and  the  gunners 
were  pouring  into  the  Spanish  ships,  every  few  seconds,  tons  of  explo 
sive  ammunition. 

THE   GREAT  FIGHT  OF   THE  DAY 

It  was  a  fight  that  was  to  set  the  naval  world  thinking  and  discredit 
the  predictions  of  the  prophets.  The  Viscaya,  with  armor  double  the 
thickness  of  the  Brooklyn  and  guns  of  larger  calibre,  had  often  been 

323 


324  THE  VISC AY  A 

placed  by  critics  as  the  superior  of  the  Brooklyn ;  and  there  was  a  low 
murmur  of  approval  on  the  latter  ship  as  the  word  was  passed  to  con 
centrate  fire  on  the  former.  Commodore  Schley  said  to  Captain  Cook, 
"Get  in  close,  Cook,  and  we'll  fix  her."  A  little  turn  of  the  helm  sent 
the  Brooklyn  in  to  within  a  thousand  yards  of  the  enemy,  and  there  they 
were  broadside  to  broadside.  "Nine  hundred  and  fifty  yards,"  called 
the  messengers  in  to  the  turret  decks,  and  the  answer  was  the  terrible 
boom  of  the  big  eight-inch  guns,  followed  by  the  tenor  of  the  five-inch 
and  the  shrill  treble  of  the  six  and  the  one-pounders.  The  smoke  was 
so  dense  that  it  was  hard  to  see  the  target,  but  up  forward  we  could  see 
the  Colon  spitting  out  smokeless  fire  from  her  side.  When  five  minutes 
had  passed  and  we  had  not  felt  the  ship  tremble  with  the  concussion  of 
Spanish  shells,  we  looked  at  one  another  in  amazement.  The  water 
about  us  and  between  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Vixen,  which  had  kept  near 
us,  absolutely  boiled,  while  the  song  of  the  shells  over  us  and  a  few 
muffled  explosions  on  deck  told  that  the  Spanish  aim  was  not  so  bad. 
Suddenly  a  marine  in  the  foretop  at  a  one-pounder  gun  shrieked  down, 
"Every  shot  is  telling,"  and  as  the  word  passed  aft  to  the  gun  crews,  the 
shooting  became  more  vigorous,  and  2,000  pounds  of  explosive  metal 
went  banging  against  the  Viscaya  every  three  minutes.  The  secondary 
battery  fire,  of  one  and  six-pounders,  was  unusually  deadly,  the  Spanish 
gunners  in  the  Viscaya's  superstructure  being  driven  from  the  guns. 
At  10:50,  after  twenty  minutes  of  this  clos^  engagement,  the  Oregon 
got  near  enough  to  land  several  six-inch  projectiles  in  the  Viscaya  and 
to  drop  a  few  thirteen-inch  shells  about  the  Colon,  which  was  rapidly 
drawing  away  to  the  westward. 

A  TERRIBLE  BAPTISM  OF   FIRE 

Twenty-four  minutes  of  this  close  action  passed,  and  Commodore 
Schley,  watching  the  Viscaya,  which  was  just  a  little  forward  of  our 


THE  VISC AY  A  327 

beam,  had  twice  remarked  that  she  was  getting  the  worst  of  it,  and 
once,  as  a  shell  struck  her  superstructure  and  apparently  cleaned  out  a 
couple  of  gun  crews,  he  said  in  an  undertone,  "My  God,  but  she  is 
getting  a  terrible  baptism  of  fire,"  and  then  almost  in  the  same  breath 
his  enthusiasm  about  the  intended  result  bubbling  over,  he  called  to 
Captain  Cook,  "Tell  your  bullies  they're  doing  great  work."  Putting 
his  glasses  up  to  his  eyes  a  minute  later,  Commodore  Schley  said  to 
Lieutenant  Sears,  "Sears,  it  looks  as  if  she  were  coming  out  toward  us." 
It  certainly  did  look  so,  for  the  Viscaya  was  sheering  out  to  the  south  as 
if  intending  to  again  try  and  ram  us.  Just  at  that  moment,  an  eight-inch 
shell  from  Lieutenant  Doyle's  starboard  turret  struck  her  a  slanting 
blow  on  the  bow,  and  there  was  a  terrific  explosion.  Every  one  of  us 
who  were  watching  her  knew  it  was  more  of  an  explosion  than  an 
eight-inch  shell  would  make  and  we  held  our  glasses  on  her  to  discover 
her  injury.  It  became  apparent,  as  the  smoke  cleared,  that  the  shell 
had  undoubtedly  exploded  a  torpedo  placed  in  her  tube  to  fire  at  us,  and 
that  it  had  blown  out  a  large  section  of  her  bow.  While  we  were 
watching  her  the  Oregon  fired  a  shell,  I  think  an  eight-inch  one,  which 
struck  almost  on  her  quarter-deck  rail,  and  which  seemingly  raked  her 
fore  and  aft.  We  could  see  men's  bodies  hurled  into  the  air,  and  see 
others  dropping  over  the  sides.  One  end  of  her  bridge  tumbled  down 
as  though  the  underpinning  was  driven  out,  and  then  at  1 1:06  o'clock 
she  turned  and  ran  for  shore,  hauling  down  her  flag,  her  deck  one  mass 
of  flames,  and  the  ammunition,  which  had  been  brought  up  to  supply 
her  deck  guns,  exploding  in  every  direction. 

ONLY  DAMAGE  RECEIVED  WAS  FROM  VISCAYA 

It  was  during  the  fight  with  the  Viscaya  that  we  received  most  of 
our  damage  from  Spanish  gunners,  two  or  three  shells  crashing  through 
our  superstructure,  and  one  large  one  entering  our  gun  deck.  The  con- 


328  THE  VISC AY  A 

cussion  of  this  as  it  exploded  below  attracted  Schley's  attention,  and  he 
said  to  Captain  Cook,  "Captain,  send  below  and  see  how  many  men 
are  wounded."  A  messenger  was  dispatched  and  he  came  back  with 
the  information  that  only  two  men  were  slightly  wounded,  and  that  none 
were  killed.  Both  the  Commodore  and  the  Captain  stood  for  a  moment, 
silent  and  amazed,  and  then  the  Captain,  believing  thoroughly  that  there 
had  been  a  mistake  made,  said  to  the  messenger  sharply,  "Go  down  to 
the  hospital  and  tell  Dr.  Fitz  Simons  to  report  to  me  the  number  of  dead 
and  wounded." 

The  messenger  went,  and  came  hurrying  back  with  the  same  infor 
mation,  and  a  radiant  smile  overspread  Schley's  face  as  he  received  this 
confirmation  of  a  statement  he  had  hardly  dared  to  believe. 

THE  PERSONALITY  OF  GEORGE  ELLIS 

But  while  the  messenger  was  gone  there  had  occurred  the  one 
death  that  marked  the  naval  battle  off  Santiago  as  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  fights  in  regard  to  fatalities  on  the  conqueror's  side,  ever 
witnessed.  George  Ellis,  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  was  the  captain's  clerk  on  the  Brooklyn.  He  was  a  clean-cut 
young  fellow,  and  he  had  impressed  me  very  much  because  he  had  what 
so  few  of  us  have,  the  courage  to  acknowledge  in  the  presence  of  a 
conglomerate  lot  of  men,  such  as  you  find  on  the  warships,  his  belief  in 
God,  and  his  love  for  his  religion  and  his  church.  Only  the  day  before 
the  battle  we  had  received  the  mail,  and  in  it  was  a  great  bunch  of  reli 
gious  tracts,  shipped  to  him  by  the  Sunday  school  in  Brooklyn  which  he 
and  his  wife  attended.  He  had  promptly  distributed  these  around  among 
the  crew.  He  had  frequently  spoken  to  me  with  regret  of  the  fact  that 
there  was  no  chaplain  aboard  the  Brooklyn  and  that  we  could  not  have 
Sunday  services;  and  on  that  very  .Sunday  morning  he  had  taken  me 
into  the  captain's  office,  where  he  made  his  headquarters,  to  show  me 


THE  VISC AY  A  329 

a  picture,  which  had  come  by  the  mail  of  the  day  before,  of  his  wife  and 
baby.  Ellis  had  served  his  time  as  a  naval  apprentice,  and  had  received 
an  honorable  discharge.  He  re-enlisted  after  a  while  spent  on  shore, 
and  had  advanced  to  chief  yeoman  on  account  of  his  superior  qualifica 
tions  as  a  writer.  His  station  in  battle  was  to  assist  the  navigator  in 
getting  ranges,  and  he  had  become  very  proficient  in  the  use  of  the 
stadimeter,  the  little  instrument  used  in  taking  the  distance  to  objects  at 
which  the  ship  is  to  fire. 

ELLIS  ORDERED  TO  TAKE  THE  RANGE 

Ellis  stood  with  several  of  us  at  Schley's  feet  just  in  front  of  the 
conning  tower,  the  Commodore  being  on  the  little  platform  and  we  stand 
ing  on  the  deck  proper.  He  was  taking  the  range,  in  the  absence  at 
some  other  part  of  the  ship  of  Navigator  Hodgson,  and,  in  order  to  find 
the  distance  to  the  Viscaya,  he  was  compelled  to  go  out  in  front  of  the 
forward  eight-inch  turret  in  the  open  where  it  was  dangerous  because 
the  Spanish  ship  was  using  her  secondary  battery.  It  was  just  a  few 
minutes  before  the  Viscaya  turned  in  to  shore  that  Schley  suddenly  said, 
"I  think  the  range  to  the  Viscaya  is  changing,  Ellis.  Try  her  again." 
Ellis  stepped  out,  raised  his  stadimeter,  took  the  range,  and  coolly  turn 
ing  around  called  back,  "  1,200  yards,  sir."  "1,200  yards,"  repeated 
Mr.  Mason  to  the  messengers,  and  "1,200  yards"  seemed  to  say  the 
booming  powder  which  sent  out  the  tons  of  steel  that  crashed  into  the 
side  of  the  Viscaya. 

A  SHELL  CARRIES  ELLIS*  HEAD  OFF 

Plainly  distinguishable  from  the  hum  and  buzz  of  the  Spanish  shells 
which  were  flying  over  us,  there  came  a  dull,  sickening  thud,  and  the 
warm  blood  and  brains  spattering  in  our  faces  and  on  our  clothes  gave 
warning  of  a  fatality  even  before  the  smoke  cleared.  When  we  could 


330  THE  VISC AY  A 

see,  there  lay  Ellis'  body  curled  in  an  inanimate  heap  on  the  deck,  the 
head  having  gone  overboard,  carried  away  by  the  impact  of  a  large  shell. 
Luckily  for  us,  the  shell  had  not  exploded,  or  else  very  many  more  of  us 
might  have  been  injured  or  killed. 

"  DON'T  THROW  THAT  BODY  OVERBOARD  » 

Dr.  DeValin,  who  stood  near  him,  stepped  forward  and  gave  one 
look  at  the  body,  only  to  see  that  life  was  extinct,  and  then  he  and 
Ensign  Edward  McCauley,  who  was  close  at  hand,  picked  it  up  to  throw 
it  overboard,  it  being  the  rule  in  battle  to  dispose  of  mutilated  bodies, 
the  presence  of  which  might  disturb  the  equanimity  of  the  men.  Com 
modore  Schley  saw  them,  and  in  the  midst  of  all  this  hot  action,  with  all 
this  tremendous  responsibility  upon  his  shoulders,  with  the  shells  burst 
ing  over  his  head  and  the  small  projectiles  rattling  against  the  turret,  from 
the  heat  of  battle  this  commander  found  time  to  turn  and  say,  "Don't 
throw  that  body  overboard.  Take  it  below,  and  we'll  give  it  Christian 
burial." 

SCHLEY  AND  OTHER  OFFICERS  SPATTERED  WITH  BLOOD 

Boatswain  Hill  was  called,  a  blanket  was  obtained,  the  body  was 
wrapped  in  it,  and  taken  to  the  lee  of  the  forward  turret,  where  it 
remained  until  the  battle  was  over.  Schley  took  his  handkerchief  from 
his  pocket  and  wiped  the  blood  from  his  face  and  coat,  where  it  had 
spattered,  while  the  rest  of  us  near  by  did  the  same.  Lieutenant  Ryan, 
who  had  charge  of  the  deck  engines,  was  so  badly  cut  by  some  flying 
pieces  of  the  skull  and  jawbone  that  for  safety's  sake  he  had  to  go  to 
the  hospital  and  have  the  wounds  cauterized.  Almost  the  same  instant 
that  Ellis  was  killed  a  shell  from  the  Viscaya,  fully  five  times  as  big  as 
that  which  had  killed  the  boy,  entered  between  decks  on  the  Brooklyn, 
striking  in  a  compartment  where  eight  men  were  working  at  a  gun.  It 
did  not  hurt  any  of  the  men  standing  near  the  gun  where  it  came  in, 


THE  VISC AY  A  333 

but  after  cutting  away  a  four-inch  thick  steel  stanchion,  demolishing  an 
iron  staircase,  and  smashing  things  generally,  it  exploded.  The  results, 
one  might  anticipate,  should  have  been  very  serious ;  but  of  the  twelve 
men  in  the  compartment,  but  one,  a  coal  passer  named  J.  Burns,  was 
hurt — a  piece  of  the  exploding  shell  going  between  his  legs  and  slightly 
wounding  him. 

THE  GLOUCESTER  RENDERS  VALUABLE  ASSISTANCE 

In  the  meantime,  while  we  were  fighting  the  Viscaya  and  the  Colon, 
the  little  Gloucester,  assisted  in  some  measure  by  the  secondary 
batteries  of  the  Iowa  and  Indiana,  had  succeeded  in  absolutely  destroy 
ing  the  two  torpedo  boats.  It  must  be  remembered  in  speaking  of  these 
that  either  of  them,  properly  handled,  was  more  than  a  match  for  the 
Gloucester.  They  were  very  fast  and  very  much  better  armed,  having 
twelve-pounder  guns  upon  them,  while  Lieutenant-Commander  Richard 
Wainright,  who  handled  the  Gloucester,  had  only  six-pounders  as  his 
largest  armament. 

To  Wainright  belongs  the  great  credit  of  having  kept  his  head  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  remember  during  that  first  part  of  the  conflict  with 
the  Spanish  cruisers,  that  the  torpedo  boats  were  in  the  harbor  and  that 
if  he  left  the  entrance  they  might  get  away  to  the  eastward  and  cause 
havoc  among  our  transports. 

THE  PLUTON  GOES  ASHORE  AND  IS  WRECKED 

Firing  a  few  shots  at  the  cruisers,  the  Gloucester  lay  waiting 
for  the  torpedo  boats  to  come  out,  and  while  she  was  waiting, 
obtained  a  range  on  the  harbor  entrance.  The  moment  the  first 
destroyer  showed  its  nose  the  Gloucester  opened  a  fusilade  upon  it,  and 
undoubtedly  made  the  better  armed  boat  think  that  she  had  a  Tartar 
with  which  to  deal.  At  the  same  time  Wainright  closed  in  upon  her, 


334  THE  VISC A  YA 

and  by  .the  time  the  two  destroyers  had  turned  to  the  west  to  follow 
their  fleet,  the  six-pounders,  three-pounders  and  Colt  automatics  on  the 
Gloucester  were  pumping  shot  into  them  with  terrific  effect.  For  a 
short  time  the  torpedo  boats  answered  the  fire  very  briskly,  but  the 
Indiana  and  the  Iowa  from  their  upper  tops  were  firing  at  them 
and  there  was  hardly  a  chance  for  them  to  gain  shelter  in  the  lee  of 
their  own  ships.  Shortly  the  Pluton,  which  had  been  the  first  to 
venture  out,  began  to  slow  down,  and  it  was  perfectly  apparent  that  she 
had  been  disabled.  From  the  way  she  moved  it  was  noticeable  that  her 
steering  gear  was  somewhat  out  of  order,  and  it  was  not  improbable 
that  a  shot  had  entered  her  engine  as  well.  At  any  rate,  she  turned  for 
shore  and  running  in  on  a  coral  reef  struck  it  and  broke  in  two,  her 
boilers  exploding,  and  completely  wrecking  her. 

THE    FUROR  EXPLODES  HER  BOILERS  AND  SINKS 

By  this  time  the  Iowa  and  the  Indiana  had  gotten  around  the  point 
just  to  the  west  of  Santiago,  and  the  commander  of  the  Furor,  evidently 
seeing  that  the  Gloucester  was  alone,  turned  as  if  to  attack  her.  The 
terrible  fire  from  the  Gloucester,  however,  never  slackened,  and  one  of 
the  larger  shells  piercing  the  Furor's  boilers,  they  exploded  and  she 
began  to  sink  at  the  stern,  her  bow  twisting  up  in  the  air.  Steam  and 
smoke  were  rising  from  her,  and  the  Gloucester,  which  a  minute  before 
had  been  fighting  her  to  the  death,  now  began  the  work  of  rescuing  her 
crew.  Lieutenant  Thomas  Wood  took  a  boat  from  the  Gloucester  and 
went  alongside  of  the  Furor  at  a  tremendous  risk,  because  she  was  in 
great  danger  of  sinking  at  any  moment  and  swamping  everything  that 
came  near  her.  He  managed  to  get  off  some  ten  or  twelve  of  her  crew, 
or  pick  them  up  out  of  the  water.  Lieutenant  Wood's  own  description 
of  the  scene  aboard  of  her,  just  before  she  sank,  will  best  describe  her 
condition.  He  said: 


THE  VISC AY  A  335 

"  On  reaching  the  Furor,  a  scene  of  horror  and  wreck  confronted 
us.  The  ship  was  riddled  by  three  and  six-pound  shells,  though  I 
observed  no  damage  by  larger  projectiles.  She  was  on  fire  below  from 
stem  to  stern,  and  on  her  spar  deck  were  the  dead  and  horribly  mangled 
bodies  of  some  twenty  of  the  officers  and  crew.  One  of  her  boats  was 
at  the  davits,  smashed  to  atoms.  I  afterward  found  another  a  short  dis 
tance  away,  bottom  up  and  stove,  but  sustaining  two  survivors,  whom  I 
rescued.  In  the  meantime  another  of  the  Gloucester's  boats  arrived, 
and  boarded  the  wreck,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Norman,  and  between 
us  we  saved  some  ten  or  twelve  of  the  crew  who  remained  on  board. 
Finding  it  impossible  to  save  the  ship,  and  fearing  damage  to  our  own 
crew  from  explosion,  I  directed  our  two  crews,  with  the  survivors  of  the 
Furor,  to  abandon  the  ship  and  return  to  the  Gloucester.  This  was 
done,  and  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  and  take  with  me  the  Furor's 
ensign." 

The  Pluton's  crew,  in  the  meantime,  were  jumping  overboard  and 
struggling  through  the  surf  to  get  ashore  and  avoid  a  capture,  but  a  large 
percentage  of  those  who  tried  to  escape  in  this  way  were  drowned,  or 
crushed  by  dashing  against  the  coral  reef.  Lieutenant  Proctor,  of  the 
Gloucester,  went  over  in  a  boat  toward  the  Pluton  and  tried  to  rescue 
some  of  her  crew.  He  picked  up  one  boat  load,  most  of  them  swim 
ming  about  the  wreck,  but  could  not  do  very  much  because  of  the  heavy 
surf  that  was  rolling.  He  said  himself : 

LARGE  NUMBER  OF  SPANIARDS  DROWNED 

"I  made  for  the  Pluton,  gathered  in  a  boat  load  of  people,  and 
returned.  I  then  went  back  to  the  Pluton,  and  attempted  to  board  her; 
but  the  surf  was  too  heavy,  breaking  over  her  deck.  I  picked  up 
another  boat  load,  and  then  landed  in  a  cove  near  the  wreck.  In  the 
meanwhile  the  other  boats  were  taken  aboard,  and  the  Gloucester 


336  THE  VISC AY  A 

steamed  out  of  sight.  I  tried,  and  finally  succeeded  with  difficulty  in 
boarding  one-half  of  the  Pluton,  but  the  surf  was  so  heavy  and  she  was 
bouncing  about  at  such  a  rate  that  I  could  not  do  much.  The  mortality 
was  not  great  from  our  fire,  but  large  numbers  were  drowned  or  mutilated 
on  the  coral  reefs." 

THE  PRESS  BOAT  WANDA  RESCUES  MANY  SPANIARDS 

The  press  boat  Wanda  had  in  the  meantime  come  along.  She  was 
a  yacht  used  by  the  Associated  Press  and  was  in  the  command  of 
Mr.  John  P.  Dunning.  He  managed  to  rescue  some  of  the  men  from 
the  water,  and  threw  overboard  a  wicker  chair  from  the  deck,  which 
was  floated  ashore  by  the  surf  so  that  the  Spaniards  could  put  a  badly 
wounded  officer  in  it  and  carry  him  into  the  Spanish  lines.  It  turned 
out  afterward  that  this  officer  was  Admiral  Villaamel,  commander  of  the 
torpedo  fleet.  He  was  desperately  wounded,  and  after  his  men  had 
fastened  him  into  the  chair  he  died  and  the  body  was  left  concealed 
among  the  rocks.  Long  after  the  war  was  over,  it  was  found  and  buried 
in  Santiago,  and  has  lately  been  taken  to  his  native  land. 


CHAPTER  XIX 
CHASING  THE  COLON 

WHEN  the  Viscaya  went  ashore  it  might  be  thought  that  the 
duty  of  the  Brooklyn  was  to  stay  by  her  and  help  save  some 
of  her  officers  and  crew,  but  Commodore  Schley  decided  that  the 
proper  thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  capture  the  Colon,  which  now  had  a 
lead  of  about  six  miles  over  us,  and  thus  effect  the  entire  destruction  of 
Cervera's  fleet,  leaving  the  humanitarian  work  of  rescue  to  the  slower 

ships. 

A  CHASE  AND  A  CAPTURE 

What  seemed  to  be  now  a  forlorn  hope  faced  Commodore  Schley, 
but  faith  in  the  Brooklyn  and  in  the  splendid  battleship  Oregon,  now  close 
on  the  chase,  never  faltered,  and  he  remarked  to  me,  "We  maybe  able 
to  wing  that  fellow,  and  then  Clark  and  Philip  will  get  a  show  at  him, 
even  if  he  sinks  us."  Captain  Philip's  Texas  could  be  seen  about  five 
miles  astern.  The  "fellow"  alluded  to  was  the  Cristobal  Colon,  which, 
so  far  as  indications  went,  had  to  this  point  escaped  unharmed  and  now 
had  a  lead  of  about  four  miles  over  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon.  The 
Colon's  accredited  speed  was  nineteen  and  a  half  knots,  and  while  the 
Brooklyn's  is  greater  than  that,  it  was  impossible  to  make  more  than 
seventeen  knots,  because  the  forward  pair  of  engines  were  not  coupled 
up  and  were  lying  useless.  The  Oregon  had  a  speed  at  the  most  of 
fifteen  and  one-half  knots;  so  it  appeared  as  if  the  chances  of  escape 
were  good,  and  everybody  believed  that  for  one  ship  to  get  away  would 

339 


340  CHASING  THE  COLON 

spoil  the  day's  victory.  There  was  one  chance,  however,  and  Schley, 
quick  to  see  it,  determined  to  take  advantage  of  it.  The  Colon  was 
running  close  in  to  shore,  and  to  continue  her  course  had  to  make  a 
long  detour  to  the  south  around  Cape  Cruz,  sixty  miles  west.  The 
Brooklyn  was  two  miles  farther  out  to  sea  than  the  Colon,  and  after 
consultation  with  Captain  Cook  and  Navigator  Hodgson,  it  was  con 
cluded  to  run  a  straight  course  to  Cape  Cruz  and  try  and  head  off  the 
chase.  The  Oregon  in  the  meantime  stayed  in  close,  so  as  to  get  a 
range  on  the  Colon's  broadside  if  she  tried  to  run  directly  south.  This 
line  of  tactics  having  been  decided  upon,  the  chase,  which  lasted  from 
1 1:25  to  1:15,  began. 

Up  to  the  masthead  of  the  Brooklyn  went  the  signal  "Cease  firing," 
and  Commodore  Schley  said  to  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason,  "Get 
all  your  men  out  for  an  airing."  In  an  instant  the  top  of  every  gun 
casement  and  every  turret  was  a  mass  of  half-naked,  perspiring,  but 
jubilant,  cheering  men.  Even  the  men  from  the  powder  magazines 
below  the  protective  deck  came  up,  and  joined  the  crowd.  The  Colon, 
in  sheer  desperation,  was  firing  a  few  shells,  but  they  fell  so  short  that 
there  were  only  jeers  for  them. 

"REMEMBER  THE  MAINE  " 

In  the  meantime  so  cheered  was  the  Commodore  with  the  results 
of  the  day  and  the  idea  that  we  would  still  get  the  Colon,  that  he  began 
to  get  jovial  and  a  trifle  facetious.  To  Ensign  McCauley  he  said, 
"Wig-wag  to  the  Oregon  that  the  ship  ahead  of  us  looks  like  an  Italian," 
referring  to  the  fact  that  the  Colon  was  built  in  Italy,  and  that  she  had 
been  sold  by  the  Italian  government  to  the  Spanish.  Instantly  came 
back  the  answer  from  Captain  Clark,  "Yes,  but  she  will  land  on  the 
coast  of  Cuba."  Then  the  Oregon  raised  a  pennant,  "  Remember  the 
Maine,"  and  the  men,  with  a  roar  of  approval,  saw  the  answering  pen- 


CHASING  THE  COLON  341 

nant  go  up,  "We  have."  Suddenly  a  big  fellow  on  the  top  of  Lieutenant 
Simpson's  turret,  after  asking  permission  of  Lieutenant-Commander 
Mason,  shouted  out,  "Three  cheers  for  Commodore  Schley,"  and  in  an 
instant  there  were  three  roars  that  drowned  even  the  thunder  of  the 
Colon's  guns  and  made  me  wonder  if  the  vigor  of  the  jubilant  Ameri 
cans'  voices  would  not  drive  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  crew  of  the 
Colon.  Then  somebody  proposed  three  cheers  for  gallant  Captain  Cook 
and  for  the  Oregon,  and  they  were  given  with  a  will,  and  returned  with 
interest. 

HEROES  BELOW  DECKS 

But  if  these  scenes,  lacking  in  tragedy,  were  going  on  above  decks, 
there  were  men  far  below  the  steel  protective  deck  still  fighting  for  the 
flag;  men  who  are  seldom  spoken  of,  but  who  are  always  heroes.  At 
the  fires  in  the  coal  rooms,  and  at  the  great  engines,  in  a  temperature 
of  from  130  to  150  degrees,  were  men  fully  as  patriotic  and  enthusias 
tic  as  those  on  deck,  and  the  successful  ending  of  the  day  now  depended 
upon  them.  Into  the  furnaces  the  coal  was  piled,  while  in  almost  a 
white  heat  naked  men  kept  the  fires  clear.  At  the  big  engines  stood  the 
engineers,  closely  watching  for  any  flaw.  Higher  and  higher  climbed 
the  steam,  and  faster  and  faster  turned  the  great  screws.  Once  in  a 
while  the  great  steel  prison  would  open  while  a  man  was  lifted  out,  over 
come  by  the  heat,  but  the  moment  the  air  revived  him  he  would  go  back 
to  his  furnace  task.  One  man  who  gave  way  was  carried  up  on  deck, 
and  his  four  fellow  workers  stood  about  with  anxious  eyes  to  see  if  he 
would  recover.  He  opened  his  eyes,  looked  around  at  them  and  said, 
"Why  the  devil  don't  you  fellows  get  back  to  work?  What  are  yer 
standin'  there  for?"  And  as  they  slunk  away  he  said  to  the  doctor, 
"Say,  Doc,  are  we  catching  the  dago?" 

Perhaps  it  is  a  new  thing  in  the  Navy,  and  perhaps  it  is  not,  but 
one  thing  struck  me  forcibly :  from  the  beginning  of  the  fight  Commo- 


342  CHASING  THE  COLON 

dore  Schley  issued  instructions  that  all  news  of  any  advantage  gained 
by  us  should  be  communicated  about  the  ship  to  those  who  could  not 
see,  and  it  seemed  to  raise  the  esprit  de  corps  at  least  a  hundred  per 
cent. 

The  chase  continued  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half  without  much 
gain  on  either  side,  the  Colon  at  12:15  having  a  lead  of  about  four  and 
one-quarter  miles.  Forced  draught  for  the  furnaces  was  being  used  on 
the  Brooklyn,  however,  and  she  began  to  gain  slowly.  At  the  same  time 
it  was  apparent  that  the  tactics  adopted  by  Commodore  Schley  had 
worked  well,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  Colon,  in  rounding  Cape  Cruz, 
would  be  near  enough  for  the  Brooklyn,  and  probably  the  Oregon,  to 
broadside  with  their  large  guns. 

THE  COLON  GETTING  AWAY 

The  problem  now  was  whether  the  Colon  would  increase  her  speed 
and  beat  us  to  the  point  ahead,  and  Commodore  Schley  discussed  with 
Captain  Cook  the  advisability  of  stopping  and  coupling  up  the  engines 
which  were  lying  useless.  The  original  order  issued  by  Admiral  Samp 
son  required  us  to  keep  steam  for  moving  eight  or  nine  knots  with  the 
engines  uncoupled.  We  used  the  after-engines.  In  the  Brooklyn  we 
could  use  only  just  so  much  steam  with  those  after-engines.  Without 
coupling  up  all  the  engines  we  could  not  use  all  the  steam  that  we  could 
raise  there.  In  the  early  part  of  the  action  we  had  steam  enough  to 
make  twelve  knots,  and  we  kept  on  increasing  the  steam  until  we  had 
all  that  we  could  use  with  the  two  engines.  We  continued  to  get  steam 
with  the  idea  that  if  the  Colon  should  get  beyond  the  point  we  would 
lose  the  time  and  couple  up  all  the  engines.  It  would  take  about  twenty- 
five  minutes  to  couple  up  the  forward-engines.  We  had  all  the  steam 
we  could  use  in  the  after-engines. 

After  considering  the  matter  for  a  little  while,  the  Commodore  said 


CHASING  THE  COLON  345 

to  Captain  Cook,  "  No,  Cook,  we  won't  stop.  I  think  we  will  catch  her. 
If  she  gets  around  the  cape  first,  we'll  stop  and  couple  then,  and,  by 
God,  I'll  chase  her  to  the  coast  of  Spain,  but  I'll  get  her."  Then  he 
stepped  into  the  conning  tower  for  the  first  time  that  day,  and  going  to 
the  speaking  tube  called  down  himself  to  the  men,  "Bullies,  we've  only 
one  more  to  get  and  it  all  depends  upon  you  now,"  and  up  from  that 
steel  prison  where  the  thermometer  registered  over  140  degrees,  there 
came  the  dull  roar  of  a  cheer.  Then  this  remarkable  man  came  out  of 
the  tower,  and  sitting  upon  the  edge  of  the  forward  eight-inch  turret, 
chewed  on  a  bit  of  bacon  and  drank  a  cup  of  coffee  while  he  continued 
to  chase  the  enemy. 

THE  COLON  RUNS  ASHORE 

At  12:20  Commodore  Schley  directed  the  Oregon  to  try  a  large 
shell,  and  at  8,500  yards  a  thirteen-inch  shell  rushed  like  a  great  rail 
road  train  by  the  Brooklyn  and  struck  just  short  of  the  chase.  A  signal 
was  sent  to  tell  the  Oregon  the  effect,  and  then  she  tried  another.  This 
time  it  hit  just  astern,  and  threw  tons  of  water  on  the  deck  of  the  Colon. 
The  effect  must  have  been  terrifying;  and  when  at  12:40  the  Brooklyn 
opened  up  with  her  eight-inch  and  landed  a  few  shots  against  the 
Colon's  side,  it  became  evident  that  the  game  was  cornered.  How 
ever,  everybody  expected  that  the  ship  of  the  enemy  would  put  up  a 
last  fight  and  only  surrender  when  overpowered,  and  we  were  all  very 
much  surprised  when,  at  1:15  o'clock,  down  came  the  ensign  of  Spain 
and  the  ship  ran  ashore. 

It  may  have  been  a  revengeful  providence,  it  may  have  been  a 
mere  accident,  but  it  certainly  was  a  peculiarly  strange  coincidence 
that  the  last  of  the  fleet  of  Cervera  and  the  flower  of  the  Spanish  Navy 
should  have  gone  ashore  at  the  very  spot  where  the  ill-fated  Virginius 
expedition  tried  to  land. 

As  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon  moved  in  upon  the  prey,  the  men 

18 


346  CHASING  THE  COLON 

poured  out  of  the  fire  rooms,  black  with  smoke  and  dirt  and  glistening 
with  perspiration,  but  wild  with  joy,  and  when  some  wag  raised  a  broom 
to  the  masthead,  there  was  a  roar  of  applause  from  the  Oregon  and  an 
answer  from  the  Brooklyn.  Climbing  up  to  the  bridge,  Commodore 
Schley  gazed  down  at  the  jubilant  men  with  just  the  suspicion  of  a  tear 
in  his  eye.  "Those  are  the  fellows  who  made  this  day,"  he  said  point 
ing  to  them,  and  then  ordered  Ensign  McCauley  to  make  signal, 
"The  enemy  has  surrendered." 

THE  FLAGSHIP  NEW  YORK  NOT  IN  SIGHT 

I  was  standing  on  the  quarter-deck  when  the  Colon  surrendered, 
and  I  handed  my  binoculars  up  to  Lieutenant  Rush,  who  was  dancing 
a  war  dance  of  joy  on  top  of  his  eight-inch  turret,  and  asked  him  to  take 
a  look  and  see  if  he  could  see  the  New  York,  Admiral  Sampson's  flag 
ship.  He  scanned  very  carefully  the  entire  expanse  of  water  to  the 
east,  and  said  she  was  not  in  sight.  His  line  of  vision,  naturally,  from 
that  elevation  and  with  the  glasses  was  about  twelve  miles.  In  order 
to  make  sure,  however,  Lieutenant  Rush  handed  the  glasses  to  a 
quartermaster  who  was  standing  by  him.  This  man  took  a  long  look, 
and  then  reported  that  he  could  see  three  columns  of  smoke  just  over 
the  horizon.  As  the  New  York  was  the  only  ship  in  line  besides  the 
Brooklyn  that  had  three  funnels,  it  was  of  course  supposed  that  it  was 
she  coming  up,  and  later  the  suspicion  was  confirmed. 

TEXAS  REPEATED  SIGNAL  TO  FLAGSHIP 

In  the  meantime  the  Texas,  which  was  about  five  miles  astern  of 
us,  had  made  out  our  signal,  "The  enemy  has  surrendered,"  and  seeing 
that  the  New  York  was  too  far  astern  of  her  to  see  us,  repeated  the 
signal,  but  the  New  York  passed  her  without  any  recognition  of  it. 

Commodore  Schley  had  ordered  Captain  Cook  to  take  a  boat  crew 


CHASING  THE  COLON  347 

and  go  over  and  obtain  the  surrender  of  the  Colon,  but  this  was  a  more 
troublesome  operation  than  would  be  supposed.  All  the  boats  had  been 
filled  with  water,  and  covered  over  with  wet  canvas,  to  prevent  them 
taking  fire  from  an  enemy's  shell,  and  it  was  some  twenty  minutes 
before  one  of  the  boats  could  be  lowered.  Then  came  the  wild 
scramble,  and  many  appeals  to  be  made  part  of  the  crew,  from  every 
man  and  officer  aboard,  and  when  the  boat's  crew  was  finally  selected 
it  was  certainly  a  motley  one,  consisting  of  half-stripped  men  who  had 
come  out  of  the  turrets,  handling  rooms  or  boiler  rooms  with  the  dirt 
and  smut  of  battle  upon  them,  and,  tired  as  they  were,  perfectly  willing 
to  pull  an  oar  to  get  over  and  obtain  the  surrender. 

CAPTAIN  COOK  RECEIVES  SURRENDER  OF  COLON 

Captain  Cook  took  with  him  from  among  the  officers  Lieutenant 
B.  W.  Wells,  Commodore  Schley's  flag  secretary,  and  Ensign  Edward 
McCauley;  while  Boatswain  Hill  took  charge  of  the  boat.  When  the 
boat  ran  alongside  of  the  Colon  the  Spaniards  received  it  with  mild 
cheers,  saying,  "Bravo  Americanos"  to  the  crew,  as  if  they  half 
expected  that  their  captors  were  going  to  treat  them  very  badly.  Cap 
tain  Moreu  received  Captain  Cook  on  board  and  with  tears  standing  in 
his  eyes  said:  "I  surrender.  You  were  too  much  for  us."  Commodore 
Paredes,  the  second  in  command  under  Cervera,  was  aboard  this  ship, 
and  he  was  very  much  affected  over  the  surrender,  sobbing  bitterly  as  he 
gave  his  parole.  They  escorted  Captain  Cook  to  their  cabin,  which  had 
been  wrecked  by  a  shell  passing  through  it,  and  there  they  were  told  by 
the  Captain  that  their  surrender  must  be  absolute  and  unconditional. 
Captain  Moreu  said  that  the  officers  would  like  to  retain  their  personal 
effects,  and  Captain  Cook  replied  that  that  was  a  matter  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  would  have  to  settle  when  he  arrived.  Much  to  the 
surprise  of  Captain  Cook,  he  found  that  there  had  been  but  a  few 


348  CHASING  THE  COLON 

men  killed  on  the  Colon,  and  that  some  of  these  had  been  shot  by 
officers  for  refusing  to  go  back  to  the  fires.  But  two  shells  had 
gone  through  her,  and  both  of  these  were  five-inch  shells  from  the 
Brooklyn,  so  it  was  evident  that  the  fear  of  the  heavy  shells  of  the 
Oregon,  the  fact  that  she  could  not  get  out  of  the  bight  and  run  to 
sea  without  meeting  the  Brooklyn,  and  the  frightful  fate  that  had  met 
her  sister  ships,  had  caused  her  to  surrender.  There  was  serious 
evidence  aboard  that  the  Spaniards  had  not  behaved  in  a  thoroughly 
chivalrous  manner.  The  breech-blocks  of  their  guns  were  missing,  and 
they  had  evidently  knocked  off  the  heads  of  their  sea  valves  and 
opened  the  torpedo  tubes  so  as  to  sink  the  ship.  This  latter  thing 
could  not  have  been  done  until  after  she  had  hauled  down  her  flag. 
One  other  curious  thing  found  was  that  the  Colon  did  not  have  her 
large  eleven-inch  guns,  and  that  her  two  turrets  were  empty.  At  first 
Captain  Cook  supposed  they  might  have  been  dismounted  for  use  in 
the  batteries  around  Santiago,  but  it  turned  out  later  that  she  had  never 
had  these  big  guns,  the  ship  having  hastily  been  sent  over  here  without 
completing  her.  She  had,  however,  two  beautiful  batteries  of  six-inch 
guns,  six  of  them  on  a  side. 

Another  interesting  thing  noted  by  Captain  Cook  was  the  fact  that 
several  of  the  officers  had  packed  their  trunks  and  were  ready  to  leave 
the  ship,  so  that  on  their  run  to  the  west  they  had  evidently  determined 
that  they  would  be  caught  sooner  or  later,  and  had  made  their 
preparations  accordingly. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

WHILE  Captain  Cook  was  aboard  the  Colon,  Commodore  Schley 
went  up  on  the  bridge  where  he  could  get  a  better  yiew  of 
the  oncoming  American  ships  and  of  the  surrendered  Colon.  As  soon 
as  he  arrived  there  the  signal,  'The  enemy  has  surrendered,"  was 
raised  by  Ensign  McCauley,  who  at  the  same  time  jointly  with  Flag. 
Lieutenant  Sears  announced  that  the  New  York  was  not  yet  in  signal 
distance.  In  the  meantime  it  was  noticed  that  the  Texas,  about  five  and 
one-half  miles  astern  of  us,  had  repeated  our  signal,  evidently  appreci 
ating  that  Admiral  Sampson  would  not  be  able  to  make  it  out  on  the 
Brooklyn,  but  that  he  might  perhaps  be  able  to  see  it  on  the  Texas. 
The  Commodore  reached  over  to  me,  took  my  glasses,  and  looked 
searchingly  to  the  east,  saying  slowly  as  he  did  so,  "There  is  the  Texas, 
and  there  is  the  Vixen,  but  I  don't  see  the  New  York." 

THE  NEW  YORK  REFUSES  TO  ANSWER  SIGNALS 

And  then  as  he  kept  the  glasses  up,  in  an  instant  he  had  evidently 
found  her,  for  he  remarked :  "Yes,  there  she  is.  I  can  tell  her  by  her 
smoke."  This  was  at  1:45  o'clock,  and  the  Colon  had  gone  ashore  at 
1:15,  while  Captain  Cook  had  received  the  surrender  at  1 :43.  Captain 
Cook,  however,  was  detained  aboard  the  Colon  in  his  desire  to  be 
courteous,  and  had  not  started  to  return  by  the  time  the  New  York 
came  in  sight.  At  two  o'clock,  just  as  she  got  where  we  considered 

351 


352  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

her  in  signal  distance,  Commodore  Schley  ordered  the  signal  raised: 
"A  glorious  victory  has  been  achieved.  Details  later."  This  signal 
replaced  the  one  which  we  had  had  flying  for  nearly  three-quarters  of 
an  hour,  "The  enemy  has  surrendered,"  and  which  the  New  York  had 
not  answered.  Vainly  the  signal  officers  on  the  bridge  watched  the 
New  York  for  even  the  courtesy  of  an  answering  pennant  showing  that 
she  understood  our  signal. 

NO  MESSAGE  OF  CONGRATULATION 

Nevertheless,  as  the  New  York  approached  rapidly,  Commodore 
Schley  ordered  another  signal  set,  "This  is  a  great  day  for  our  country." 
Instead  of  an  answering  pennant  to  this  signal,  there  went  up  on  the 
signal  halyards  of  the  New  York  a  set  of  flags,  which  at  first  officers  and 
men  alike  on  the  Brooklyn  hoped  to  be  a  message  of  congratulation, 
but  which  proved  to  be  a  terse  command,  "Report  your  casualties." 

"Report  your  casualties,"  repeated  Schley,  turning  on  his  heel  and 
walking  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  bridge,  a  pained  expression  on  his 
face;  and  up  to  our  signal  masts  went  the  flags,  "One  dead  and  two 

wounded." 

SCHLEY  THANKS  ALL  THE  VESSELS 

As  if  in  direct  contrast  to  this  curious  attitude  of  Sampson's  flag 
ship,  Commodore  Schley  immediately  began  sending  messages  of 
thanks  and  congratulations  to  the  vessels  which  had  been  near  him 
during  his  great  emergency.  To  the  Oregon  he  had  wig-wagged: 
"Thanks  for  your  splendid  assistance.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  you  we 
might  not  have  been  here."  To  the  Texas  he  sent  the  words:  "You 
did  glorious  work.  Thank  you  for  keeping  with  us."  And  to  the  little 
Vixen,  a  converted  yacht  which  had  kept  along  with  us,  he  signaled, 
"Thank  you  for  trying  to  keep  near  us.  You  might  have  been  of  great 
assistance."  And  in  response  to  each  of  these  messages  there  came 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  353 

from  each  of  the  ships  spoken  cheer  after  cheer,  all  of  which  were 
answered  by  the  men  on  the  Brooklyn. 

Somebody  raised  a  broom  at  our  masthead  on  one  of  the  pennant 
halyards,  and  the  crew  of  the  Oregon  followed  suit  and  then  gave  three 
cheers  for  Commodore  Schley.  On  the  Texas  the  men  all  lined  up  on 
the  forward-deck  and  at  request  from  somebody  aboard — I  presume 
Captain  Philip  himself— gave  three  cheers  for  Commodore  Schley.  The 
little  Vixen  circled  around  us  three  or  four  times,  her  crew  yelling 
themselves  hoarse  for  the  Brooklyn,  for  Schley,  and  for  the  victory. 
But  from  the  New  York  there  came  never  a  sound  of  joyfulness  and 
never  a  cheer. 

MEN  AND  OFFICERS  OF  NEW  YORK  NATURALLY  DISGRUNTLED 

Of  course,  both  officers  and  men  on  the  New  York  were  naturally 
disgruntled.  It  must  have  been  a  terribly  hard  thing  to  them  to  feel 
that  after  five  weeks  of  waiting  they  had  been  cheated  out  of  a  chance 
to  take  a  shot  at  the  Spanish  fleet  or  to  help  in  the  entire  destruction 
that  five  of  their  sister  ships  had  accomplished.  It  was  hard,  of  course, 
to  think  that  the  man  who  had  planned  and  schemed  so  successfully  as 
to  keep  the  fleet  in  all  of  these  five  weeks,  and  who  had  perhaps  spent 
many  a  sleepless  night  plotting  methods  for  their  destruction,  had  only 
been  able  to  see  the  wrecked  hulks  lying  along  the  Cuban  shore  as  he 
followed  up  the  chase ;  but  yet  there  was  not  an  officer  or  a  man  who 
did  not  look  forward  to  a  message  of  congratulation  and  who  did  not  feel 
disappointed  that  if,  even  in  his  perturbation  Admiral  Sampson  had  for- 
gotton  to  thank  his  fleet,  his  memory  was  not  jogged  by  his  staff  officers. 

NEW  YORK  INTERCEPTS  BOAT  OF   BROOKLYN 

As  the  New  York  ran  in  between  the  Brooklyn  and  her  prize,  it  was 
evident  that  Captain  Cook's  slow-going  boat,  propelled  by  a  lot  of  weary 


354  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

arms  that  had  helped  so  hard  in  the  fight  that  day,  would  be  intercepted. 
Here  was  the  climax.  Schley's  ship  had  borne  the  brunt  of  battle. 
Schley's  broad  pennant  had  been  followed.  Sampson's  flagship  had  never 
been  within  signal  distance  of  the  fleet,  although  the  Indiana's  captain 
claims  that  he  saw  the  flagship  nearly  all  the  time  during  the  battle, 
from  his  extreme  eastern  position;  but  if  that  were  so,  Captain  Taylor, 
knowing  that  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon  were  out  of  signal  distance 
of  the  New  York,  must  explain  why  he  did  not  repeat  the  Commander- 
in-Chief's  signals  to  the  fleet.  According  to  Captain  Evans,  of  the  Iowa, 
who  ran  in  after  the  Viscaya  at  a  point  twelve  miles  to  the  west  of  the 
harbor,  the  New  York  did  not  pass  him  until  1 1:30  o'clock,  which  was 
exactly  two  hours  and  thirty-five  minutes  after  the  fight  had  begun,  and 
two  hours  after  five  of  the  enemy's  ships  had  been  sunk  or  beached. 
This  of  course  would  put  her  out  of  signal  distance  of  the  fleet,  because 
practically  she  had  to  run  at  good  high  speed  for  two  hours  before  she 
could  catch  up  with  the  leading  vessels  in  the  chase,  and  it  was  2:25 
o'clock  before  she  stopped  her  engines  opposite  the  Colon,  while  the 
Colon  had  beached  at  1:15. 

SCHLEY  REQUESTS  THE  SURRENDER  OF  THE  CRISTOBAL  COLON 

Picking  up  the  megaphone,  which  stood  in  a  convenient  corner  of  the 
bridge,  Commodore  Schley  did  the  one  thing  that  day  for  which  I  have 
always  criticised  him, — lowered  his  dignity  sufficiently  to  plead  with  the 
commander  of  the  fleet  that  he  might  have  the  surrender  of  the  ship 
whose  escape  had  been  frustrated  by  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon,  thus 
making  complete  the  day's  victory. 

"I  request  the  honor  of  the  surrender  of  the  Cristobal  Colon,"  he 
said  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice;  and  from  the  Commander-in-Chief's  flag 
ship  came  wafted  back  the  insolent  answer  from  a  cadet,  "What?" 

"I  request  the  honor  of  the  surrender  of  the  Cristobal  Colon," 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  357 

again  called  the  Commodore,  and  this  time  his  voice  trembled  slightly. 
We  watched  the  bridge  of  the  New  York  closely,  and  Lieutenant  Sears, 
holding  up  the  megaphone  to  his  ear,  waited  intently  for  an  answer. 
But  none  came.  And  that  message,  as  had  all  the  others  preceding  it, 
which  had  been  addressed  by  Schley  to  the  New  York,  since  the 
destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet,  remained  unanswered,  while  from 
the  other  side  of  the  flagship  a  megaphone  message  ordered  Captain 
Cook  to  report  with  his  prisoners  from  the  Colon  aboard  the  New  York, 
so  that  the  ship  that  had  not  fired  a  shot  that  day  except  at  a  defenseless 
and  surrendered  torpedo  boat,  might  have  the  honor  of  the  surrender. 
Captain  Cook  reported  on  the  New  York,  together  with  the  Spanish 
prisoners,  and  at  the  same  time  told  the  Commander-in-Chief  that  the 
Colon  was  in  a  sinking  condition,  her  torpedo  tubes  being  open  and  the 
heads  of  her  sea  valves  knocked  off.  Then  the  Captain  got  in  his  boat 
and  returned  to  the  Brooklyn. 

SCHLEY'S  GENEROSITY  TO  THE  VANQUISHED  SPANIARDS 

In  the  meantime,  Commodore  Schley  not  being  able  to  see, 
because  the  New  York  shut  out  the  view,  that  Captain  Cook  had  gone 
aboard  her  and  surrendered  his  prisoners,  and  believing  fully  that 
Admiral  Sampson  would  allow  him  the  honor  of  the  surrender,  as 
requested,  made  preparations  to  receive  the  Spaniards  aboard.  Look 
ing  down  from  the  bridge  over  the  motley  crowd  of  sailors  gathered 
upon  the  fo'castle,  some  of  them  half  naked,  and  all  covered  with  per 
spiration  and  powder  smoke,  he  called  down  to  them,  "Bullies,  the 
Spanish  officers  are  coming  aboard.  Don't  cheer;  we  have  vanquished 
them  to-day  and  we  can  afford  to  be  generous,"  or  words  to  that  effect. 
The  sailors  looked  up,  and  appreciating  the  thoughtfulness  that 
prompted  the  request,  responded  heartily,  "Aye,  aye,  sir." 

As  Captain  Cook's  boat  came  torn  behind  the  New  York  and 


358  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

toward  the  Brooklyn,  we  saw  to  our  surprise  that  it  had  been  emptied 
of  its  Spanish  officers,  and  therefore  Commodore  Schley's  caution  to  his 
men  was  unwittingly  superfluous.  The  Commodore  thereupon,  after 
Captain  Cook  had  come  aboard  and  reported,  ordered  the  boat  to 
wait  for  him,  and  getting  into  it,  went  over  to  the  New  York  to  officially 
report. 

During  this  time  I  had  seen  the  Vixen  run  up  alongside  of  the  New 
York,  and  suspecting  that  she  was  going  to  take  dispatches  to  the 
nearest  cable  station,  I  asked  permission  to  board  her.  Lieutenant 
Staunton,  flag  lieutenant  for  Admiral  Sampson,  had  already  been  put 
aboard  of  her,  as  had  also  a  correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press 
who  was  accompanying  the  New  York.  Lieutenant  Staunton  objected 
to  the  Vixen  waiting  for  me,  saying  that  one  correspondent  was  enough, 
evidently  having  in  mind  the  fact  that  if  I  got  to  the  cable  station  I  would 
undoubtedly  give  the  credit  of  the  fight  itself  to  Commodore  Schley, 
while  there  probably  was  no  such  intention  upon  the  part  of  Lieutenant 
Staunton  or  anybody  else  from  the  New  York.  Commander  Sharpe, 
however,  with  whom  I  had  been  quite  closely  associated  and  who  was 
in  command  of  the  Vixen,  insisted  upon  waiting  for  me,  although 
Staunton  urged  the  fact  that  Admiral  Sampson  desired  the  dispatches 
taken  in  a  hurry.  I  was  thereupon  allowed  to  go  aboard  to  hear,  as  I 
did  hear,  the  enthusiastic  account  of  the  fight  as  given  by  Commander 
Sharpe  and  Lieutenant  Harlow,  who  of  course  had  seen  the  whole 
battle.  Unfortunately  we  made  out  a  battleship  just  after  we  had 
started,  which  Lieutenant  Staunton  asserted  was  the  Spanish  ship 
Pelayo,  and  we  turned  around  and  ran  back  to  the  fleet  without  filing 
our  dispatches. 

STAUNTON  CLAIMS  THE  VICTORY  BELONGS  TO  SAMPSON 

I  was  really  glad  this  occurred  because  Commander  Sharpe  and 
Lieutenant  Harlow  on  the  one  side  and  Lieutenant  Staunton  on  the 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  359 

other  were  getting  into  a  rather  bitter  dispute,  the  two  former  declaring 
that  the  New  York  was  never  for  a  moment  in  the  fight  or  even  within 
signal  distance,  while  the  Brooklyn  had  borne  the  brunt  of  it,  and 
Lieutenant  Staunton  arguing  that  while  they  hadn't  fired  a  gun 
from  the  New  York,  they  had  been  fairly  near  the  fight  and  it  was 
therefore  Admiral  Sampson's  victory.  The  officers  of  the  Vixen  had 
been  in  an  unusually  advantageous  position  to  see  the  combat,  her  offi 
cers  not  having  anything  to  do  but  watch  the  fighting,  their  ship  being 
too  small  to  take  into  action. 

REPORT  THAT  ANOTHER  SPANISH  BATTLESHIP  WAS  COMING  IN 

Just  what  occurred  on  the  New  York  between  Commodore 
Schley  and  Admiral  Sampson  as  to  any  personal  conversation,  is  with 
me  only  a  matter  of  record  through  conversations  with  Commodore 
Schley,  but  the  interview  was  a  cordial  one,  Captain  Clark  taking  part 
in  it.  While  it  was  occurring,  however,  the  Resolute,  in  command  of 
Captain  Eaton,  came  along  and  signaled  that  another  Spanish  vessel 
had  been  sighted,  and  that  he  believed  it  to  be  the  Pelayo,  one  of 
Spain's  heavy  battleships.  Admiral  Sampson  ordered  the  Brooklyn 
and  the  Oregon  to  go  out  and  find  her,  and  Captain  Clark,  of  the  Ore 
gon,  tells  the  little  story  of  the  order  so  well  that  I  use  his  statement  in 
full  here.  Captain  Clark  said : 

THE  BROOKLYN  AND  OREGON  ORDERED  AFTER  THE  SHIP 

"It  was  reported  by  Captain  Eaton,  of  the  Resolute,  that  a  Spanish 
battleship  had  arrived  off  Santiago,  and  1  think  he  said  he  had  been  pur 
sued  by  her.  I  will  not  say  anything  about  that,  though,  as  I  am  not 
certain,  but  he  was  positive  he  had  seen  a  Spanish  battleship.  The 
Admiral  did  not  seem  to  be  impressed  by  that;  he  seemed  incredulous. 
I  remarked  that  it  must  be  Camara's  fleet,  that  they  had  arrived  there 


360  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

to  form  a  junction  with  Cervera's  fleet,  but  that  they  had  arrived  too 
late.  The  Admiral  did  not  dissent ;  he  did  not  say  anything  to  that. 
Presently  he  said:  'Well,  Clark,  you  will  have  to  go  after  that  ship.' 
Believing,  as  I  did,  that  there  was  really  a  Spanish  battleship  there,  I 
said:  'Well,  Admiral,  in  war  we  want  to  overpower  the  enemy,  if  pos 
sible.  Why  should  not  the  Brooklyn  go  along?'  He  turned  and  said: 
'  Certainly.  Schley,  you  go  also.'  Then  feeling  that  I  had  perhaps  as 
sumed  too  much  in  speaking  to  an  admiral  and  suggesting  that  a  com 
modore  also  accompany  me,  I  turned  around  to  the  Commodore  and 
said:  'Commodore,  we  have  knocked  out  several  vessels  this  morning; 
we  can  knock  out  another  one,  can't  we?'  He  said:  'Certainly  we  can, 
come  on,'  and  started  over  the  side.  I  started  for  my  boat  too,  I  think, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  vessel,  though  I  do  not  remember  about  that. 
What  I  was  most  impressed  with  was  his  cheerful,  cheery  manner  of 
approving  of  my  having  mentioned  his  going — that  he  had  no  feeling  as 
a  senior  against  me  for  suggesting  it,  and  was  rather  approving  and 
cheerful  in  his  manner." 

NO  DESIRE  OF  SAMPSON  TO  ENGAGE  SPANISH  FLEET 

The  curious  part  of  this  order  for  the  Oregon  and  Brooklyn  to  go 
out  is,  that  it  was  a  tacit  admission  that  there  was  no  desire  upon  the 
part  of  those  in  command  of  the  New  York  to  take  an  active  part  in  the 
destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet.  The  Oregon  had  damaged  some  of 
her  biggest  guns  by  using  extreme  elevation  for  them.  Her  crew  at  the 
boilers  and  engines  were  practically  exhausted  by  the  extreme  heat 
during  the  four  hours'  fight  in  which  she  had  taken  so  glorious  a  part. 
Her  men  behind  the  guns  were  naturally  affected  by  the  nervous  tension 
under  which  they  had  worked,  and  her  ammunition  had  been  greatly 
depleted  by  the  rapidity  of  her  fire.  The  Brooklyn  was  even  worse  off. 
The  only  man  killed  that  day  was  aboard  that  ship,  the  body  covered 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  363 

with  a  tarpaulin,  and  the  only  men  injured  in  the  fight  were  lying  in  her 
hospital.  Six  of  her  five-inch  guns  were  so  badly  damaged  in  the 
mounts  that  they  could  hardly  be  used.  Some  of  her  eight-inch  guns 
were  likewise  damaged.  Her  boiler  force  had  been  four  hours  in  front 
of  the  hot  furnaces;  her  gun  crews  had,  according  to  the  amount  of 
ammunition  used,  worked  harder  and  faster  than  any  other  crews  in  the 
fight.  She  had  many  a  hole  through  her,  and  a  supposed  injury  below 
the  water  line  that  had  filled  one  of  her  apartments,  and  she  had  borne 
the  brunt  of  the  fighting  during  the  day. 

OFFICERS  AND  MEN  OF  FLAGSHIP  ANXIOUS  TO  FIGHT 

And  the  New  York !  True,  her  fire  and  engine  forces  had  done 
heroic  work,  trying  to  bring  her  into  the  fight,  but  from  her  guns  two 
shells  only  had  been  fired,  one  at  an  already  disabled  torpedo  boat,  and 
one  at  the  batteries  of  Santiago  as  she  had  passed  them,  so  that  her 
magazines  were  full  of  ammunition.  Her  gunners,  who  had  stood  with 
their  hands  by  their  sides  during  the  four  hours'  engagement  with  the 
Spanish  fleet,  were  ready  and  anxious  for  battle,  and  there  is  every 
reason  to  suppose  would  have  greeted  the  opportunity  to  go  out  after  this 
alleged  Spaniard  with  a  cheer.  Her  officers  had  stood  around  idly, 
simply  watching  the  other  vessels  of  the  fleet  destroy  the  Spaniards. 
Here  was  the  opportunity  for  Admiral  Sampson  and  his  chief- of- staff 
to  put  her  in  active  duty.  But  they  did  not. 

SCHLEY  CHEERED  BY  CREW  OF  TEXAS 

Commodore  Schley  climbed  down  the  side  of  the  New  York  and 
came  aboard  the  Brooklyn,  stopping  at  the  stern  of  the  Texas  long 
enough  to  receive  a  cheer  from  the  men  he  had  formerly  commanded 
and  asking  permission  of  Captain  Philip  to  use  his  chaplain  on  the  mor 
row  to  bury  the  dead  Ellis.  Then  as  the  crew  of  his  gig  pulled  him 


364  THE   COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

away,  he  called   back  to  Philip,  "I'm  going  out  to  get  another  one, 
Jack." 

BROOKLYN  GOES  OUT  ALONE  FOR  SUPPOSED  SPANISH  SHIP 

Once  on  board,  the  Brooklyn  headed  out  in  the  direction  toward 
which  the  Spanish  ship  was  supposed  to  be.  The  signal  was  made  for 
the  Oregon  to  follow,  but  the  Oregon  didn't  follow,  much  to  Commodore 
Schley's  and  Captain  Cook's  surprise.  Captain  Clark  doesn't  know 
why  he  was  ordered  not  to  go,  and  Admiral  Sampson  has  never  given 
an  explanation.  The  Oregon  had  a  hawser  to  the  Colon  attempting  to 
pull  her  off  the  beach  and  this  may  have  been  the  reason  why  she  did 
not  accompany  the  Brooklyn,  but  true  it  is  that  the  latter  went  out  alone. 

When  Commodore  Schley  noticed  that  the  Oregon  was  not  accom 
panying  him,  he  turned  to  Captain  Cook  and  said,  "Well,  Cook,  after 
what  has  happened  this  day  I  think  we  can  give  them  a  pretty  good 
circus,  anyway."  And  then  the  Commodore  ordered  that  the  port  side 
on  which  the  guns  were  in  better  shape  be  kept  trained  on  the  enemy, 
as  soon  as  she  was  sighted.  On  the  way  out  he  met  the  Vixen  coming 
back  at  a  lively  pace  and  signaling  "Enemy's  vessel  discovered  to  the 
east."  Admiral  Sampson's  flag  lieutenant,  Staunton,  who  was  aboard 
her,  megaphoned  over  to  the  Brooklyn,  "We  have  sighted  a  ship  flying 
the  Spanish  colors  coming  from  the  east.  She  is  a  battleship,  and  I 
think  the  Pelayo."  Commodore  Schley  megaphoned  back  "All  right," 
and  the  Brooklyn  flying  her  tattered  battle  flags  and  under  a  good  head 
of  steam,  kept  on  her  way. 

THE  ALLEGED  SPANISH  VESSEL  DISCOVERED 

Very  soon  the  alleged  Spaniard  was  discovered,  and  Captain  Cook 
said  to  Commodore  Schley,  "That  fellow  is  flying  the  Spanish  flag,  but 
that  is  not  the  Pelayo.  The  Pelayo  has  turrets  and  this  fellow 
hasn't  any." 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  365 

Closer  the  Brooklyn  got  to  her,  and  began  circling  around  her, 
drawing  the  circle  smaller  each  time  and  keeping  her  port  battery  trained 
upon  the  strange  vessel.  Suddenly  Captain  Cook,  who  had  been  look 
ing  at  her  closely  through  the  glasses,  turned  to  Commodore  Schley 
and  said,  "That's  a  funny  thing.  She  has  up  a  string  of  international 
signals." 

SHE  FLIES  THE  AUSTRIAN  FLAG 

International  signals  are  those  made  between  merchant  vessels,  or 
between  ships  of  war  during  peace  times.  It  not  being  peace  times  with 
us,  there  was  some  difficulty  in  finding  the  international  signal  book, 
and  as  it  was  beginning  to  get  rather  dark,  the  foreign  ship  of  war 
turned  her  own  searchlights  on  her  flags,  as  if  she  was  very  anxious  to 
have  us  read  them  aright.  Then  the  Brooklyn's  signal  officers  made 
out  this  signal:  "This  ship  flies  the  Austrian  flag.  Please  don't  fire," 

I  have  no  doubt  that  the  Austrians  heard  the  roar  of  laughter  which 
greeted  this  rendering  of  the  signal.  In  a  few  moments  a  boat  was 
lowered  from  that  vessel,  and  one  of  her  officers  came  alongside  the 
Brooklyn.  He  presented  his  commander's  respects  to  Commodore 
Schley,  and  said  that  they  desired  to  enter  the  harbor  of  Santiago. 
"You  will  have  to  communicate  with  the  Commander-in-Chief  concern 
ing  that,"  said  the  Commodore.  The  young  officer  said  that  he  had 
heard  from  another  American  vessel,  the  Indiana,  of  the  destruction  of 
the  Spanish  fleet.  As  he  was  leaving,  he  turned  to  the  Commodore 
and  said,  "How  far  shall  we  lie  out  behind  your  blockade  line  to-night?" 
And  Commodore  Schley,  with  just  a  touch  of  sarcasm  in  his  voice, 
answered,  "Well,  sir;  the  distance  ought  to  be  ten  miles,  but  if  I  were  you 
and  had  no  countersign,  considering  the  situation,  I  would  make  it 
twenty."  And  he  did,  as  we  saw  no  more  of  him  that  night. 

Commodore  Schley  did  not  go  back  to  report  to  Admiral  Sampson, 
believing  that  his  proper  place  as  second  in  command  was  off  Santiago, 


366  THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

so  the  Brooklyn  continued  on  her  way  to  that  harbor,  where  she  arrived 
about  midnight. 

THE  COLON  TURNS  OVER  IN  THE  SURF 

Where  the  Colon  had  gone  ashore  was,  until  midnight,  a  most 
interesting  scene.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  surrendered  ship  were 
taken  off  by  the  yacht  Vixen  and  sent  to  the  ship  Resolute  as  prisoners. 
The  hawser  which  the  Oregon  had  sent  over  to  the  Colon  had  pulled 
her  off  the  sliding  bank  of  sand  on  which  she  was  lying,  and  she  rapidly 
filled  with  water.  The  New  York  pushed  her  upon  the  beach  very 
cleverly,  but  the  Spaniards  had  done  their  work  so  thoroughly  that  just 
after  the  last  boat  load  had  been  taken  away  from  her,  she  turned  over 
on  her  side. 

In  the  meantime  no  cable  dispatch  announcing  the  victory  having 
been  sent,  Admiral  Sampson  put  Flag-Lieutenant  Sidney  A.  Staunton 
upon  the  torpedo  boat  Ericsson  and  sent  him  down  to  Siboney,  where 
the  army  had  established  a  cable  station,  with  orders  to  send  a  dispatch 
to  the  Navy  Department,  the  result  being  that  Mr.  Staunton  wrote  this 
dispatch,  signing  it,  as  he  was  authorized  to  do,  with  Admiral  Sampson's 
name: 

The  fleet  under  my  command  offers  the  nation  as  a  Fourth  of  July 
present  the  whole  of  Cervera's  fleet.  It  attempted  to  escape  at  9:30 
this  morning.  At  two  the  last  ship,  the  Cristobal  Colon,  had  run 
ashore,  seventy-five  miles  west  of  Santiago  and  hauled  down  her  colors. 
The  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  Oquendo,  and  Viscaya  were  forced  ashore, 
burned,  and  blown  up  within  twenty  miles  of  Santiago.  The  Furor  and 
Pluton  were  destroyed  within  four  miles  of  the  port.  SAMPSON. 

WAITING  FOR  NEWS  FROM  V7ASHINGTON 

The  men  on  the  ships  of  the  squadron  that  had  taken  part  in 
this  tremendous  encounter  with  such  splendid  credit  to  themselves  and 
the  nation  were  reassembled  before  the  harbor  of  Santiago  on  the 


.&  S^^XJi 


v4*^ 


THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  369 

morning  of  July  4th,  and  upon  that  day  and  several  succeeding  days 
waited  for  some  message  of  congratulation  from  the  Commander-in- 
Chief,  or  from  officials  at  Washington,  but  it  was  not  until  July  8th,  that 
in  an  exceedingly  formal  way  the  congratulations  of  the  President  and 
of  Secretary  of  the  Navy  Long  were  conveyed  to  the  wondering  and 
waiting  crews.  No  word  from  Admiral  Sampson  accompanied  them. 
Whether  or  not  the  dispatches  from  the  President  and  the  Secretary 
were  held  up  or  belated  by  the  cable,  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  to  be 
presumed  that  they  were. 


17 


CHAPTER  XXI 
SCHLET  IN  BATTLE 

THE  biting,  blinding  swirl  of  smoke  from  the  thundering  pair  of 
eight-inch  guns  in  the  forward  turret  of  the  Brooklyn  blew  aside 
for  an  instant,  and  as  Lieutenant  Simpson  stuck  his  head  out  of  the 
cover  of  the  turret  and  sang  out,  "Did  that  one  hit  them,  Commodore?" 
the  lithe,  active  figure  on  the  little  platform  outside  of  the  conning  tower 
dropped  the  binoculars  from  his  eyes  for  an  instant  and  said,  "I  couldn't 
see  it,  Simpson,  but  keep  right  at  them." 

THE  MAN  WHO  RESCUED  GREELY 

This  tall,  slim  figure,  in  blue  and  white,  with  hardly  a  mark  on  his 
uniform  to  identify  him,  with  iron  gray  hair,  moustache  and  imperial, 
was  the  commander  this  eventful  day  because  of  the  absence  of  the 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  American  squadron,  which  had  suddenly 
found  itself  in  combat  mortal  with  the  Spanish  squadron  of  Cervera. 
He  stood  there  on  the  little  temporary  footboard  placed  for  just  this 
purpose  on  the  outside  of  the  conning  tower,  the  same  erect,  energetic 
figure  that  years  before,  in  the  lookout  box  on  the  mast  of  an  American 
cruiser,  gazed  across  ice  fields  and  ordered  the  ship  pushed  through 
them  to  rescue  the  starving  Greely  and  his  party  from  the  death  that 
would  have  come  to  them  in  forty-eight  hours  but  for  this  man's 
indomitable  will. 

When  he  had  answered  Simpson's  query,  the  glasses  went  up  to 
his  eyes  again,  and  pointing  with  his  other  hand  toward  the  first  two 

371 


372  SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE 

vessels  which  had  now  emerged  from  the  harbor,  he  said  to  Captain 
Cook,  "They  are  coming  to  the  west,  Cook.  Go  straight  at  them." 
Then,  with  that  thoughtful  self-possession  and  kindliness  which  has 
always  marked  him,  he  said,  "Keep  the  men  below  informed  of  the 
progress  of  the  fight." 

THE  NEW  YORK  NOT  IN  SIGHT 

The  figure  in  front  of  the  conning  tower  was  that  of  Winfield  Scott 
Schley,  and  the  battle  the  culmination  of  those  five  weeks  of  waiting 
before  the  harbor  of  Santiago  which  had  followed  the  discovery  of 
Cervera's  fleet  by  this  same  successful  sea-fighter.  In  these  first  few 
minutes  as  the  Spanish  fleet  moved  out,  there  was  the  natural  hurry 
and  the  intense  excitement  which  would  mark  such  a  surprise,  but  this 
figure  in  blue  on  the  roughly-erected  promenade  talked  off  orders  like 
clockwork.  "Signal  close  in,"  he  said  to  Lieutenant  Sears,  who  stood 
near  him;  "Signal  they  are  going  to  the  west,"  he  said  in  another 
instant;  and,  "Open  fire,  Cook,  and  fire  deliberately,"  were  some  of  the 
orders  he  gave  preceding  Simpson's  inquiry  concerning  the  effect  of  his 
first  shot.  "I  can't  see  the  New  York,"  was  the  next  remark  he  made. 
"Can  any  of  you  see  her?"  and  he  handed  the  glasses  over  to  one  of 
the  signal  officers  near  him.  The  response  to  this  inquiry  that  "She 
was  not  in  sight,"  brought  from  him  the  remark,  "Then  it's  our  fight," 
and  he  leaned  back  against  the  conning  tower,  and  held  the  glasses  as 
steadily  to  his  eyes  as  if  in  peace  times  he  had  been  trying  to  get 
a  glimpse  of  the  home  shore  after  a  long  voyage. 

THE  ONES  THAT  YOU  HEAR  WON'.T  HURT  YOU 

"You  messengers  look  out  for  that  gun  blast,"  he  said  to  a  lot  of 
half-dressed  sailors,  as  the  ship  lunged  slightly  to  starboard  and  the 
forward  pair  of  eight-inch  guns  came  swinging  around  to  port.  "  Don't 


SCHLE  Y  IN  BA  TTLE  375 

duck,"  he  said,  with  a  pleasant  smile  to  me  as  something  whizzed  over 
us,  "The  ones  that  you  hear  won't  hurt  you,"  and  then  back  he  went  to 
the  serious  work  of  the  day.  There  wasn't  a  tremor  to  his  arm  as  he  raised 
it  and,  pointing  to  the  harbor,  said,  "There  comes  the  fourth  one,  Cook," 
and  then  as  he  saw  the  Brooklyn  swing  in  very  close  to  the  enemy  and 
.  saw  the  enemy's  ships  spread  out  in  fan  shape  as  if  to  surround  him,  he 
'said,  "Put  your  helm  hard  aport,  Cook."  "It  is  hard  aport,"  answered 
Cook,  coughing  and  spluttering  through  the  smoke.  "Well,  get  her 
around  quickly,"  he  said,  and  although  standing  a  few  feet  from  him,  I 
could  not  see  him  for  the  smoke,  but  I  could  hear  the  musical  voice  of 
the  Commodore  say,  "Damn  that  smoke.  Oh,  for  some  wind." 

THE  SPANISH  FLAGSHIP  ON  FIRE 

"We  might  go  around  quicker,"  said  Lieutenant-Commander  Hodg 
son  to  Captain  Cook,  "if  we  backed  on  the  starboard  engine,"  and  Cook 
had  just  started  to  reply  to  him  when  Schley  said  sharply,  "No,  no;  we 
will  go  around  faster  and  not  lose  headway  if  we  use  both  engines 
ahead."  We  were  pretty  well  turned  now,  and  the  Commodore  had 
stepped  around  the  conning  tower  until  he  was  on  the  starboard  side, 
directly  facing  the  enemy.  The  bugle  had  blown  for  the  starboard  bat 
tery  to  open,  and  the  smoke  having  cleared  so  that  Schley  could  see 
the  men  going  to  the  five-inch  guns,  he  called  to  them  as  they  started  in 
to  work,  "Give  them  hell,  bullies,"  and  then  in  another  instant  slapped 
his  side  with  glee,  almost  dropping  his  binoculars,  as  he  pointed  toward 
the  first  ship,  from  which  was  rising  a  light  column  of  smoke  showing 
that  she  had  been  hit  and  was  starting  to  burn.  "That's  the  stuff;  that's 
the  stuff,"  he  said  excitedly;  and  then,  to  the  young  range  finder,  "Get 
that  range,  Ellis;  we're  dropping  a  little  short." 

I  shall  never  forget  him  during  those  moments;  he  was  all  life, 
activity,  and  nerve.  He  noticed  the  most  trivial  things.  I  had  knelt 


376  SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE 

down,  almost  at  his  feet,  to  take  a  photograph.  He  said  as  calmly  as  if  he 
had  been  criticising  me  in  a  public  street  somewhere,  "You'll  never  get 
a  picture  there,  Graham.  Go  to  the  quarter-deck  where  the  smoke 
blows  clear."  He  was  the  inspiration  of  every  man  forward.  Some 
small,  fourteen-year-old  boys,  apprentices,  who  were  acting  as  messen 
gers,  had  at  first  shown  signs  either  of  apprehension  or  great  excite 
ment;  but,  as  the  Commodore  told  them  calmly  to  take  messages  and 
walked  coolly  around  this  wooden  platform  with  the  shells  flying  close 
to  him  and  shrieking  over  his  head  and  in  the  deafening  noise  of  his 
own  ship's  guns,  even  the  youngsters  took  heart  from  his  example. 

THE  BROOKLYN  FIGHTS  ENTIRE  SPANISH  FLEET 

"Look  out  for  the  torpedo  boats,  Cook,"  he  sang  out  once,  as  the 
lookout  above  notified  us  through  the  megaphone  that  they  were  coming 
out  of  the  harbor.  An  instant  after  Captain  Cook  said,  "There  are  no 
other  American  vessels  in  sight."  Putting  his  glasses  to  his  eyes 
Schley  scanned  carefully  the  dense  mass  of  smoke  which  hung  like  a 
curtain  three-quarters  of  a  mile  behind  us.  On  our  starboard  side  were 
the  four  Spanish  vessels,  each  one  of  them  plainly  in  view,  and  each  of 
them  firing.  If  Schley  had  given  the  slightest  indication  at  that  moment 
that  he  was  afraid  of  the  result,  or  if  he  had  ordered  the  helm  put  over 
to  take  the  Brooklyn  out  of  the  fight,  it  is  perfectly  possible  that  panic 
would  have  seized  us  all.  But  as  coolly  as  if  he  were  saying  that  he 
would  join  a  pleasure  cruise,  Commodore  Schley  said  to  Cook  all  in  the 
same  breath,  "Well,  we  are  going  to  stay  with  them.  Keep  her  in 
toward  them,"  and,  in  the  next  instant,  to  Ellis,  "Get  that  range,  Ellis." 
He  stepped  out  from  the  shadow  of  the  turret  and  took  the  range. 
"  1 ,200  yards,"  he  sang  out,  and  turned  to  step  back.  The  next  moment 
his  headless  body  dropped  to  the  deck.  A  six-pounder  shell  had 
knocked  his  head  off.  Two  men  were  about  to  throw  the  body  over- 


SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE  377 

board,  but,  in  the  midst  of  a  rain  of  missiles,  with  every  indication  that 
the  Brooklyn  was  to  be  sacrificed,  with  almost  everything  depending 
upon  this  man  in  front  of  the  conning  tower,  Schley  said  quickly,  "  Don't 
throw  that  body  overboard.  Take  it  below  and  we'll  give  it  Christian 
burial."  Hardly  had  the  body  been  lifted  to  a  place  below  the  super 
structure  when  there  was  a  slight  cheer,  and  Schley,  looking  around 
with  his  glasses  toward  the  curtain  of  smoke,  saw  the  nose  of  the 
Oregon,  with  a  great  white  wave  piled  up  in  front  of  her,  come  rifting 
through.  "By  George,  you're  all  right,"  he  said,  and  almost  at  the 
same  instant,  the  Maria  Teresa  turned  in  toward  the  shore,  a  great 
column  of  smoke  rising  from  her  quarter-deck.  Catching  Captain  Cook 
in  an  almost  vice-like  grip  by  the  shoulder,  the  Commodore  exclaimed, 
"Cook,  we've  got  one.  Tell  the  bullies  below  about  it." 

SIGNAL  HALYARDS  OF  BROOKLYN  SHOT  AWAY 

In  the  shadow  of  the  turret  just  near  Commodore  Schley  stood 
young  Ensign  McCauley.  It  was  his  duty  to  send  to  the  top  of  the 
masts  the  signal  flags  expressing  the  Commander-in-Chief's  wishes  to 
the  remainder  of  the  fleet.  A  flag  came  fluttering  down  just  in  front  of 
us.  "What's  the  matter,  McCauley?"  asked  the  Commodore,  smilingly; 
and  with  much  gravity  for  a  young  man,  McCauley  answered,  "  Halyards 
all  shot  away,  sir."  "You  don't  tell  me  so?"  said  Schley,  and  as  if  in 
answer  to  his  query,  there  came  down  with  a  rattle  and  a  bang  a  speed 
cone,  striking  heavily  upon  the  platform  near  him  as  if  to  prove  the  truth 
of  Mr.  McCauley's  statement  that  the  Spaniards  were  shooting  our  tops 
away.  The  cone  is  very  heavy,  and  if  it  had  hit  the  Commodore  it 
would  probably  have  put  him  out  of  action,  but  he  paid  not  the  slightest 
attention  to  it,  except  to  say  to  McCauley,  "You  can  use  the  halyards 
aft.  I'll  send  a  messenger  to  you."  And  then  this  remarkable  man 
turned  his  glasses  again  to  the  Spanish  ships,  and  discovering  that  the 


378  SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE 

second  vessel  was  just  about  going  ashore,  said  to  his  flag  lieutenant, 
Mr.  Sears,  "Sears,  she  looks  as  if  she  were  very  badly  hit,  and  she  may 
sink  before  she  gets  to  shore."  Mr.  Sears  looked  at  her  for  a  few 
moments,  and  reported,  "  No,  sir,  she  is  in  shallow  water  already,  but 
her  magazine  will  soon  be  reached  by  that  hot  fire." 
"Poor  devils,"  said  Schley,  in  a  sympathetic  tone. 

TERRIFIC  FIRE  FROM  BROOKLYN  DISABLES  VISCAYA 

We  were  now  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  for  we  were  broadside  to 
the  Viscaya,  and  at  closer  quarters  than  any  of  the  other  ships  had  been. 
There  was  a  grinding,  crashing  noise  from  the  deck  beneath  us,  and 
Schley  said,  quickly,  "They  have  landed  something  in  us.  Send  a  mes 
senger  and  see  how  many  are  killed  and  wounded."  In  a  moment,  the 
messenger  hurried  up  and  reported  that  a  six  and  seven-tenths  inch 
shell  had  come  in  and  exploded,  but  that  only  one  man  was  hurt.  Once, 
as  he  glued  his  binoculars  to  his  eyes  and  took  another  glance  at  the 
Viscaya,  which  was  on  our  starboard  quarter,  he  gave  expression  to 
intense  feeling  in  a  long-drawn-out,  "My  God,"  as  his  glasses  showed 
him  the  picture  of  an  eight-inch  shell  from  the  Brooklyn  striking  a  torpedo 
in  one  of  the  Spanish  ship's  forward  torpedo  tubes  and  bursting  out  all 
of  her  port  bow.  But,  the  spirit  of  the  contest  overpowering  him  again, 
as  he  saw  a  shell  from  the  Oregon  strike  the  Viscaya  astern,  he  shouted 
to  Captain  Cook,  exultingly,  "We've  got  that  one,  too,  Cook.  She 
can't  stand  that  firing."  True  to  the  prophecy,  she  turned  at  that  instant, 
and  started  for  the  shore.  She  listed  a  little  bit  to  port  where  the  great, 
ragged  hole  was  torn  in  her  side,  and  Schley  remarked  in  an  instant, 
showing  the  predominance  of  that  humanity  which  always  marks  the 
true  hero,  "We'd  better  signal  Philip  to  stay  alongside  of  her.  She  may 
go  down  in  deep  water."  The  signal  was  not  raised,  however,  because 
before  it  could  be  prepared  she  had  run  on  a  coral  reef  and  the  Texas 
was  going  in  to  her  assistance. 


SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE  381 

The  Colon  was  now  about  six  miles  ahead  of  us,  the  only  one  of  the 
Spanish  ships  remaining  to  fight,  and  for  the  first  time,  in  all  that  two 
hours  of  fiercest  fighting,  this  active  man  who  had  directed  one  of  the 
greatest  sea  fights  in  history,  began  to  show  signs  of  nervousness.  Yet, 
he  did  not  forget  that  below  the  decks  and  in  the  turrets  were  tired,  hot 
men,  who,  if  there  was  to  be  any  lull  in  the  battle,  needed  air  and 
refreshment. 

STUDYING  HOW  TO  CATCH  THE  COLON 

"Signal  the  Oregon  to  cease  firing,"  was  the  order  given  in  another 
minute  by  the  Commodore  to  Lieutenant  Sears,  and  then  he  began  to 
study  the  position  of  the  Colon  and  the  proposition  of  getting  her.  He 
watched  her  very  intently  for  some  minutes,  next  studying  the  coast 
line.  Lieutenant  Hodgson  came  down  from  the  chart  room  with  a  map 
of  the  coast,  and  the  Commodore  carefully  conned  it.  Then  again  he 
closely  scanned  the  coast  with  his  binoculars,  going  out  on  the  fo'castle 
to  get  an  unobstructed  view.  Once  he  clenched  his  fist  and  almost 
shook  it  at  the  Spanish  ship,  muttering,  "I'll  get  that  fellow  if  I  have  to 
follow  him  to  the  coast  of  Spain."  Once  again  he  studied  the  map, 
once  more  the  coast-line,  and  still  once  again  the  Colon.  Then  he 
looked  around  at  the  Oregon  and  smiled,  giving  his  shoulders  a  quick, 
characteristic  shake  as  though  he  had  solved  a  knotty  problem.  His 
confidence  was  returning.  He  had  seen  a  way  to  head  off  the  Colon 
and  was  positive  that  he  was  to  succeed.  A  cape,  fifteen  miles  to  the 
west,  projected  far  out  into  the  ocean.  The  Colon  was  running  close 
inshore,  and  to  round  this  cape  would  have  to  make  a  long  detour  to 
the  south.  "Wig-wag  to  the  Oregon  to  keep  in  close  behind  her,"  said 
Schley  to  Ensign  McCauley;  and  then  to  Captain  Cook,  he  added, 
"  Cook,  make  a  straight  line  for  the  cape.  We  can  head  her  off  that 
way,  and  the  Oregon  can  help  us." 

Then  began  that  long  chase,  during  part  of  which  Schley  sat  on 


382  SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE 

the  edge  of  the  forward  eight-inch  turret,  swinging  his  feet  like  a  school 
boy,  and  munching  on  a  piece  of  cracker  which  had  come  up  in  the  lot 
sent  for  the  men. 

OREGON  USES  HER  THIRTEEN-INCH  SHELL 

Once  in  awhile  during  the  chase  a  shade  of  anxiety  would  cross 
his  face  as  he  spoke  of  the  fact  that  we  were  only  gaining  very  slowly, 
and  that  if  the  enemy  could  but  keep  up  the  pace  darkness  might  aid 
her  in  escaping.  It  was  in  one  of  these  moments  that  he  signaled  the 
Oregon,  "Try  one  of  your  railroad  trains  on  her,  Clark,"  meaning  a 
thirteen-inch  shell.  And  Clark  answered  immediately  by  firing  two 
shots  at  the  fleeing  Spaniard.  Lieutenant  Simpson,  who  was  in  the 
forward  turret,  as  he  saw  that  neither  of  the  thirteen-inch  shells  of  the 
Oregon  had  hit,  touched  his  cap,  and  he  said,  "Can't  I  try  it,  too,  sir?" 
"  I  don't  think  you  can  reach,"  said  Schley,  "but  if  you  are  very  anxious 
you  may  try,"  and  again  the  Brooklyn  began  to  fire. 

THE  COLON  STRIKES  HER  COLORS 

It  was  while  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon  were  firing  that  some 
body  thought  they  noticed  a  white  flag  fluttering  from  the  masthead  of 
the  Colon,  and  there  immediately  arose  a  cry,  "She  has  surrendered; 
she  has  surrendered." 

Schley  raised  the  glasses  to  his  eyes,  looked  at  her  intently  for  a 
moment,  and  said,  "No,  that's  steam;"  but  in  less  than  two  minutes 
afterward,  Mr.  Mason,  who  was  watching  her  through  a  long  glass, 
called  out,  "She's  hauled  down  her  flag  and  fired  a  lee  gun."  Instantly 
Schley  said,  "What  does  that  mean?"  and  as  Mason,  with  a  look  of 
surprise,  said,  "That  means  she  has  surrendered,"  Schley  exclaimed, 
with  a  smile,  "I'm  damned  glad  I  didn't  have  to  surrender,  because  I 
wouldn't  have  known  how." 


SCHLE  Y  IN  BA  TTLE  383 

It  was  then  that  I  noticed  for  the  first  time  under  what  a  strain  this 
man  had  been.  His  lips  were  cracked,  and  little  flecks  of  blood  showed 
where  the  saltpetre  from  the  gun  smoke  had  affected  him.  His  eyelids 
were  red  from  staring  through  his  glasses  so  continuously,  his  eyes  were 
bloodshot,  and  there  were  dark  lines  down  his  face.  But  his  hands 
were  steady;  his  voice  was  even,  though  somewhat  hoarse  from  the 
loud  speaking  which  he  was  compelled  to  do  to  be  heard  above  the  roar 
of  battle,  and  it  seemed  as  though  every  instant  he  was  thinking  of  all 
those  who  had  helped  him  in  that  day's  victory.  From  the  New  York 
to  the  fleet  came  no  word  of  commendation,  and  Schley,  thoroughly 
disgusted,  went  to  the  bridge  of  his  vessel,  to  watch  the  return  of 
Captain  Cook,  whom  he  had  sent  to  receive  the  surrender.  While  he 
was  there  he  saw  that  the  New  York  was  going  in  between  the  Brooklyn 
and  the  Colon,  and  then  saw  her  intercept  Captain  Cook's  boat. 

A  trifle  broken  in  spirit,  the  Commodore  came  down  from  the 
bridge,  and  taking  his  barge,  went  over  to  make  his  official  report  to 
Admiral  Sampson. 

THE  MAGNANIMOUS  SPIRIT  SHOWN  BY  COMMODORE  SCHLEY 

I  shall  never  forget  the  joyful  mood  in  which  he  came  back,  and 
told  Captain  Cook,  "  Cook,  they  have  sighted  another  Spaniard  out  there, 
and  we  are  going  out  to  get  her."  It  never  apparently  crossed  his  mind 
that  it  was  a  curious  thing  that  the  Brooklyn,  with  damaged  guns,  tired 
men,  and  reduced  ammunition,  should  be  sent  out  to  fight  again,  when 
the  New  York,  with  fresh  crew,  clean  guns,  and  plenty  of  ammunition, 
stayed  by  a  dilapidated  prize.  That  it  was  an  Austrian  ship,  and  not  a 
Spaniard,  may  perhaps  to-day  be  a  cause  for  congratulation  by  the 
American  public. 

And  when  the  evening  had  come,  and  the  good  Brooklyn  was 
speeding  toward  her  station  off  Santiago,  and  the  crew  had  appealed  to 


384  SCHLEY  IN  BA  TTLE 

Captain  Cook  to  allow  them  to  cheer  the  Commodore,  he  stood  on  the 
quarter-deck,  his  hand  raised  in  a  sort  of  deprecating  manner  as  they 
cheered,  and,  when  they  had  finished,  he  said,  "Bullies,  the  victory 
belongs  to  every  one  of  you,  as  much  as  it  does  to  me.  You  men 
behind  the  guns,  and  you 'men  below  decks,  did  the  work  this  day." 

And  that  night,  as  we  ran  alongside  of  the  Iowa,  it  was  Schley 
from  the  bridge  who  called  to  the  men  on  the  deck  of  the  Brooklyn, 
"Admiral  Cervera  is  aboard  the  Iowa.  We  have  vanquished  him  to-day, 
and  I  hope  you  will  not  cheer,  but  show  your  generosity  to  him  for  his 
courage." 


CHAPTER  XXII 
PERSONAL  BRA7ERT 

DURING  all  these  four  hours  of  action  with  the  Spanish  ships  I  saw 
many  singular  incidents  which  demonstrated  the  nonchalant 
bravery  of  the  American  seaman  in  time  of  great  danger.  In  a  few 
minutes  after  the  first  shots  had  been  fired  from  the  Brooklyn,  the 
almost  hysterical  enthusiasm  that  actuates  men  in  a  moment  of  great 
danger  had  passed.  The  coolness  of  a  partial  despair  born  of  a  knowl 
edge  that  careful  work  and  quick  work  were  their  only  salvation  had 
grown  on  all  in  the  fight.  The  messengers,  who,  traversing  the  most 
dangerous  portions  of  the  ship,  had  at  first  rushed  headlong  to  the  deliv 
ery  point,  shrieking  the  message,  began  to  move  more  sedately;  the 
gunners  watched  the  effect  of  a  shot  before  they  fired  again;  the  men 
came  out  of  the  turrets  for  a  breath  of  air,  and  discussed  with  disdain 
the  shooting  of  the  enemy,  although  we  were  hit  several  times.  Captain 
Cook,  of  the  Brooklyn,  scorning  the  protection  of  eight  inches  of  steel  in 
his  conning  tower,  walked  about  and  discussed  the  ship's  movements 
with  Schley;  and  the  men  not  busy  at  the  guns  would  get  in  exposed 
positions  to  see,  as  they  expressed  it,  "where  the  dagoes  were."  The 
Spanish  had  opened  with  their  rapid-fire  guns,  and  partly  because  the 
forecastle  where  I  stood  was  covered  with  smoke  from  our  own  guns, 
and  partly  because  I  wanted  to  know  how  the  men  in  the  various 
divisions  were  conducting  themselves ,  I  started  to  make  a  tour  of  the 
ship. 

387 


388  PERSONA L  BRA  VER  Y 

THE  GUN  CREWS  CHEERFUL 

Passing  back  toward  the  quarter-deck  I  had  to  go  by  the  row  of 
five-inch  guns,  and  almost  every  gun  crew  had  something  cheering  to 
say  to  me,  in  several  instances  stopping  to  have  me  join  in  an  hurrah 
with  them.  Going  by  Lieutenant  Doyle's  starboard  eight-inch  turret,  I 
heard  one  of  his  best  gunners  complaining  as  he  watched  the  shots  from 
the  eight-inch  gun  drop,  or  at  least  tried  to  watch  them  drop:  "Sir,  I 
can't  see  the  shots  fall,"  and  Lieutenant  Doyle,  who  was  sighting  the 
two  guns,  answered  him  tersely,  "Well,  you  darned  fool,  that's  all  right; 
when  you  don't  see  them  drop  in  the  water,  you  may  know  that  they  are 
hitting  the  ships." 

THE  FIRE  WAS  CONCENTRATED  ON  THE  VISCAYA 

In  the  after  eight-inch  turret  Lieutenant  Rush,  with  a  bandana  hand 
kerchief  bound  round  his  brow,  and  no  indication  of  his  rank  about  him 
to  distinguish  him  from  the  sailors  and  gunners  in  his  crew,  stuck  his 
head  out  of  the  opening  in  the  top,  although  the  Viscaya's  and  Colon's 
shells  were  whistling  a  merry  tune  over  it,  and  sang  out,  "Say,  which  of 
these  ships  do  you  want  us  to  hit?"  and  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason, 
who  was  coming  by  with  a  word  of  commendation  for  the  men  and 
giving  them  change  of  range,  replied,  "Just  soak  the  Viscaya;  she's  our 
prey;  she's  1,700  yards  from  us  now,  and  you  know  the  New  York 
people  think  she's  a  better  ship  than  ours."  Rush  dived  below  to  begin 
aiming,  and  immediately  after  the  two  guns  had  been  fired  his  bandana- 
capped  head  stuck  up  again  and  he  called  to  me,  using  a  favorite  nick 
name  for  me  aboard,  "Say,  Cheesi,  did  you  see  me  soak  them?" 

MIRACULOUS  ESCAPE  OF  LIEUTENANT-COMMANDER  MASON 

It  was  while  coming  out  from  beneath  the  steel  superstructure  to 
give  an  order  to  Lieutenant  Rush  that  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason, 


PERSONAL  BRA  VERY  389 

the  executive  of  the  ship,  nearly  lost  his  head  and  his  life,  and  yet  it  was 
an  extremely  singular  fact  that  he  never  knew  of  it  until  I  told  him. 
Commodore  Schley  had  seen  me  trying  to  take  a  photograph  of  the 
Viscaya  from  the  forward-deck,  and  he  had  said  to  me,  "Graham,  you'll 
do  better  on  the  quarter-deck,  where  the  smoke  blows  clear."  I  was 
kneeling  between  the  superstructure  and  the  eight-inch  after  turret,  my 
camera  in  my  hand,  when  a  concussion  so  great  as  to  make  me  drop 
my  camera,  nearly  knocked  me  flat.  I  looked  up  through  the  dense 
smoke  and  saw  two  things — Mr.  Mason  walking  along  as  calmly  as  if 
nothing  had  happened,  and  one  of  the  huge  steel  ventilators  which 
furnishes  fresh  air  for  the  men  below  decks,  minus  its  top.  The  shell, 
which  had  taken  off  the  top  of  the  ventilator,  had  gone  not  over  a  foot 
above  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason's  head.  At  ward  room  table  that 
night  I  mentioned  the  incident.  Mr.  Mason  immediately  alleged  that 
terror  over  the  battle  had  probably  made  me  lose  my  head  and  that  he 
did  not  think  that  such  an  incident  had  occurred.  We  escorted  him  on 
deck  and  showed  him  where  the  ventilator  had  been  destroyed,  and 
then  he  only  partially  believed  it. 

BRAVE  ACT  OF  CORPORAL  GRAY  OF  THE  MARINE  CORPS 

Up  forward  on  the  gun  decks  was  a  six-pounder  gun  that  in  the 
close  forty  minutes'  action  with  the  Viscaya  had  been  doing  valiant 
work.  As  the  men  were  putting  in  a  cartridge  the  shell  loosened  from 
the  casing  and  became  wedged.  This  was  on  the  side  near  the  enemy, 
but  there  was  not  a  moment's  hesitation.  Out  on  the  gun's  muzzle 
crawled  Corporal  Robert  Gray,  of  the  Marine  Corps,  a  rammer  in  his 
hand  ready  to  drive  the  shell  out.  The  gun  was  hot  and  he  could  not 
retain  his  hold,  so  he  dropped  down  to  the  sea  ladder.  Over  his  head 
was  the  frightful  blast  and  draft  of  the  big  gun,  while  around  him 
pattered  the  shot  of  the  enemy.  He  failed  in  his  attempt,  and  Gunner 


390  PERSONAL  BRAVERY 

Smith  then  tried  it,  but  he  too  failed.  It  looked  as  if  the  gun  would 
have  to  be  abandoned,  but  Private  MacNeal,  of  the  squad,  asked 
permission  to  make  an  attempt,  and  was  allowed  to  try  it.  Clinging  to 
the  hot  gun,  with  death  by  water  assured  if  he  dropped,  or  was  knocked 
off  by  the  concussion,  and  the  enemy  firing  at  him,  he  got  the  rammer 
in  the  muzzle  and  forced  out  the  shell,  amidst  cheers  from  his  comrades. 
I  watched  these  men  closely.  None  of  them  showed  the  slightest  sign 
of  heroic  exhilaration.  It  was  evidently  to  them  a  duty  of  the  com 
monest  sort.  A  few  minutes  later  a  six-inch  projectile  smashed  into  a 
compartment  just  below  them.  They  laughed  at  the  gunner's  aim 
when  they  found  nobody  hurt. 

TAKING  SNAPSHOTS  OF  THE  MEN 

About  the  decks,  the  men  not  actually  busy  at  the  guns  enjoyed 
the  fight  hugely.  When  a  big  shell  hit  the  upper  works  and  exploded 
with  a  roar,  they  would  make  disparaging  remarks  about  Spanish 
gunnery.  At  one  time,  during  a  lull  in  the  battle,  but  while  the  Colon 
was  near  enough  to  us  to  shoot,  and  I  believe  was  shooting,  I  took 
pictures  of  the  men  standing  on  top  of  an  eight-inch  turret,  in  easy 
range  of  the  enemy's  guns,  and  cheering  Commodore  Schley. 

COOLNESS  OF  ENSIGN  McCAULEY 

Up  on  the  forward-deck,  just  near  the  conning  tower,  but  even  a 
little  more  exposed  than  those  who  stood  on  the  platform  or  the  lee  of 
the  tower,  was  young  Ensign  Edward  McCauley,  who  had  charge  of  the 
signaling,  and  who  had  with  him  two  or  three  marines  and  an  equal 
number  of  sailors.  At  first  he  was  apparently  a  trifle  cautious,  and  bent 
his  signal  flags  on  the  halyards  from  the  lee  of  the  big  eight-inch  turret, 
but  as  halyard  after  halyard  was  shot  away,  and  as  the  fight  progressed, 
and  the  Oregon  was  the  only  ship  in  the  fight  helping  us  to  which  he 


PERSONA L  BRA  VER  Y  393 

needed  to  do  the  signaling,  he  would  climb  up  on  the  top  of  the  eight- 
inch  turret  with  the  utmost  sang  froid,  and  using  a  small  wig-wag  flag, 
communicate  with  the  battleship.  Then,  picking  up  his  binoculars,  he 
would  watch  carefully  for  the  answer.  Once  or  twice  Commodore 
Schley,  who  was  equally  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  gave  orders 
for  McCauley  to  come  down,  but  he  evidently  grew  tired  of  giving  these 
orders,  for  I  distinctly  remember  the  action  finishing  with  McCauley 
still  upon  the  top  of  the  turret. 

Ti.E  MARINES  FOUGHT  NOBLY 

Captain  Murphy,  of  the  Marine  Corps,  was  about  as  beautiful  an 
example  of  indifferent  bravery  as  I  have  ever  seen.  The  Captain  is 
nothing  if  not  stately,  and  it  must  have  been  very  encouraging  to  all  of 
his  men,  especially  if  they  were  inclined  to  be  a  trifle  nervous,  to  see 
the  dress-parade  way  in  which  he  moved  about  the  decks.  He  was  as 
courteous,  as  cool  and  as  collected  as  if  he  were  running  the  customary 
daily  drills,  and  I  don't  believe  he  would  have  ducked  if  he  had  seen  a 
shell  coming.  His  position  was  everywhere  on  the  ship  where  there 
was  a  marine  situated,  and  his  particular  care  was  the  secondary 
batteries  of  six  and  one-pounders.  In  this  he  was  assisted  by  Lieutenant 
Borden,  who,  although  not  quite  as  dignified  as  Captain  Murphy,  was 
equally  as  calm  and  collected. 

THE  ENEMY  AIMED  TOO  HIGH 

The  enemy's  shots  had  seemed  to  be  fired  during  the  early  part  of 
the  action,  at  least  so  far  as  their  secondary  batteries  were  concerned, 
a  trifle  too  high,  for  they  had  riddled  our  smokestacks,  had  cut  away 
most  of  our  signal  halyards,  and  shot  pieces  out  of  the  two  great 
American  flags  at  our  mastheads.  Suddenly  a  shot  cut  away  the  lower 

halyard  of  the  huge  American  flag  at  the  truck.     I  was  on  the  quarter- 
is 


394  PERSONAL  BRAVERY 

deck  at  the  time,  and  looking  up,  and  it  appeared  as  if  we  would  lose 
the  flag  in  a  minute  or  two.  While  I  was  debating  whether  to  go  to 
Mr.  Mason  and  call  his  attention  to  it,  I  saw  a  marine  shinning  up  the 
steep  ladder  toward  the  masthead.  The  small  shells  were  rattling  about 
him,  and  the  black  smoke  from  our  funnels  under  forced  draught  made 
it  very  unpleasant  for  him.  But,  choking  and  spluttering,  he  reached 
the  top,  got  hold  of  the  flag,  and  fastened  the  new  halyard,  which  he 
had  carried  up  with  him,  to  the  bottom.  He  had  saved  Old  Glory. 
When  he  came  down  I  asked  him  his  name,  but  he  looked  at  me  in  a 
surprised  sort  of  way,  and  rushed  off  to  his  work.  The  next  day  when 
Captain  Murphy  tried  to  discover  the  man,  he  would  not  give  his  name. 

CADET  TOOK  SNAPSHOT  OF  OQUENDO  DURING  FIGHT 

Captain  Evans,  of  the  Iowa,  told  of  hearing  a  boatswain's  mate  on 
the  superstructure  say,  as  he  handled  a  rapid-fire  gun,  "Now,  boys, 
mind  them  torpedo  boats.  Give  them  hell  for  the  Maine;"  and  a  few 
minutes  later  discovering  a  cadet  lately  from  Annapolis,  standing  on  the 
forward-deck  of  the  Iowa  tilting  his  camera  in  his  efforts  to  get  a  snap 
shot  of  the  Oquendo,  while  the  machine  guns  of  that  ship  were  making 
the  air  sing. 

LIEUTENANT  HEILNER  GETS  BATTLE  FLAGS  FOR  TEXAS 

It  is  related  of  Lieutenant  Heilner,  of  the  Texas,  that  after  the 
action  had  been  on  for  about  ten  minutes,  and  after  he  had  seen  the 
immense  flags  which  the  Spanish  flew,  he  looked  up  to  the  masthead  of 
the  Texas,  and  discovered  that  they  did  not  have  their  battle  flag  up. 
"Where  are  our  battle  flags?"  he  cried,  and  Captain  Philip  replied,  "  I 
guess  they  won't  have  any  misconception  about  our  being  in  battle." 
But  he  wanted  the  battle  flag,  and  finding  that  the  chief  signal  quarter 
master  was  not  available,  and  that  he  had  the  key  for  the  locker, 


PERSONAL  BRAVERY  395 

Lieutenant  Heilner  smashed  it  open,  got  one  out,  and  ran  it  up  to  the 
masthead  himself. 

It  was  on  the  Brooklyn  that  I  heard  a  boy,  a  youngster  of  fourteen 
years  of  age  and  one  of  a  lot  of  apprentices  v/ho  had  been  received 
aboard  the  Brooklyn  about  a  week  before  the  fight,  remark  jubilantly,  as 
he  looked  out  of  a  five-inch  gun  sponson,  "Talk  about  your  Fourth  of 
July  celebrations!"  and  still  another  one,  a  few  minutes  later,  as  he 
paused  and  saw  a  shell  hit  a  Spanish  ship,  clap  his  hands  and  yell, 
"  Did  you  see  that  one  plunk  her?" 

WONDERFUL  COOLNESS  OF  CAPTAIN  COOK  DURING  ACTION 

Captain  Cook,  of  the  Brooklyn,  during  the  entire  action  showed  a 
nerve,  coolness  and  reserve  force  that  were  simply  remarkable.  With 
the  exception  of  raising  his  voice  slightly  so  as  to  be  heard  above  the  din 
of  his  own  guns,  he  talked  in  the  same  matter-of-fact,  methodical  man 
ner  as  he  had  on  any  day  during  the  five  months'  cruise.  When  queried 
by  Commodore  Schley,  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason,  or  any  of  the 
other  officers  of  the  ship,  he  hesitated  before  answering,  as  if  pondering 
his  words,  and  this  very  thing  demonstrated  the  entire  control  which  he 
had  over  himself  despite  the  excitement  of  the  hour.  He  frequently 
stepped  inside  the  conning  tower  to  talk  to  the  men  at  the  helm,  or  to 
call  down  to  the  men  below  deck  in  the  handling  and  fire  rooms  some 
words  of  encouragement  or  advice.  The  only  time  that  he  seemed 
surprised,  or  a  trifle  unnerved,  was  when,  after  sending  a  messenger  to 
find  out  the  number  of  killed  and  wounded  below  deck,  he  was  startled 
at  the  information  that  Ellis  was  the  only  man  killed. 

THE  MEN  BELOW  THE  DECKS 

Down  below  the  protective  decks  of  the  Brooklyn  were  over  three 
hundred  men  practically  imprisoned,  because  the  steel  gratings  to  the 


396  PERSONAL  BRAVERY 

hatchways  were  all  laid  down  to  prevent  shells  or  fragments  from  shells 
going  below  deck.  These  men  were  at  the  engines,  the  fires,  and  in  the 
ammunition  rooms,  and  they  were  working  as  hard,  if  not  harder,  and 
certainly  in  a  more  intense  heat,  than  the  men  on  deck  and  behind  the 
guns,  but  they  found  time  at  intervals  to  listen  to  the  reports  from  on 
deck  that  came  down,  and  to  cheer  vigorously  when  they  heard  of  the 
Spanish  ships  running  ashore. 

CREW  OF  BROOKLYN  USE  SPANISH  SHELL  FOR  SOUVENIRS 

Once  a  piece  of  an  exploded  shell  came  down  through  a  partially 
opened  hatchway,  and  struck  on  the  floor  of  one  of  the  fire  rooms. 
Instantly  there  was  a  wild  scramble,  not  to  get  away  from  the  shell, 
which  they  might  easily  have  imagined  it  to  have  been,  but  toward  it,  to 
get  the  pieces  as  souvenirs. 

Hearing  the  concussion  of  a  tremendous  shell  entering  our  gun 
deck,  I  hurried  below  to  find  out  its  effect,  and  see  if  a  photograph  could 
be  obtained.  I  found  the  men  clearing  away  the  debris,  which  I  thought 
a  rather  singular  proceeding  at  that  stage  of  the  battle,  because  it  was 
in  nobody's  way,  until  I  discovered  that  what  these  men  were  really 
doing  was  digging  out  of  the  deck  pieces  of  the  shell  to  send  to  their 
relatives.  They  stood  up  in  line  as  I  came  along  with  my  camera, 
anxious  for  me  to  take  a  picture  of  them. 

When  the  fight  began,  that  morning,  there  were  in  the  ship's  hos 
pital  three  men,  two  of  whom  had  been  hurt  by  concussion  from  the 
bombardment  the  day  before,  and  one  of  whom,  a  marine,  was  on  the 
general  sick  list.  One  of  these  men  had  been  thrown  against  a  steel 
stanchion,  dislocating  his  shoulder,  and  Dr.  Fitz  Simons  had  bound  it 
up  for  him,  using,  I  believe,  some  plaster  in  the  operation.  One  of  the 
other  men,  who,  by  the  way,  belonged  to  the  same  gun  squad  as  this 
first  man,  had  hurt  his  left  forearm  and  wrist -in  the  same  manner,  and 


PERSONAL  BRAVERY  399 

he,  too,  was  done  up  in  bandages.  Dr.  Fitz  Simons,  going  through  the 
ship  during  the  early  part  of  the  firing,  noticed  two  men  serving  a  for 
ward  five-inch  gun,  both  of  whom  were  wearing  the  signs  of  surgical 
treatment.  It  didn't  quite  dawn  upon  him  at  first  what  had  happened, 
and  believing  that  they  had  been  hurt  by  explosion,  he  said  to  them 
rather  sharply,  "When  were  you  men  hurt?  Why  didn't  you  report 
to  the  hospital?"  The  men  grew  extremely  busy  all  at  once,  getting 
the  next  cartridge  ready  for  the  gun,  although  the  shell  then  in  the  gun 
had  not  been  fired,  and  so  they  failed  to  respond.  Just  then  the  gun  was 
fired,  and  the  men  hustled  up  the  five-inch  cartridge  to  load  it  again.  Dr. 
Fitz  Simons  waited  until  they  had  loaded  it,  and  then  repeated  his  ques 
tion.  The  men,  looking  rather  sheepish,  were  just  about  to  answer, 
when  he  was  summoned  to  the  forward-deck  to  look  at  Ellis'  body. 
When  he  had  finished  he  turned  to  Dr.  DeValin,  his  assistant,  and  asked 
him  if  he  had  had  any  cases  to  attend  to,  and  how  the  men  at  the  after 
five-inch  gun  had  been  hurt.  DeValin  looked  puzzled  for  a  few 
moments,  answering  the  first  part  of  the  question  in  the  negative,  and 
then,  as  the  truth  dawned  upon  him,  a  broad  smile  illumined  his  coun 
tenance.  "I'll  bet  you,"  he  said  to  his  superior,  "those  are  the  two 
fellows  who  were  in  the  hospital  yesterday." 

SICK  SAILORS  LEAVE  HOSPITAL  TO  FIGHT  SPANISH 

The  next  morning  three  very  penitent-looking  sailors  stood  before 
the  entrance  of  Lieutenant-Commander  Mason's  cabin  until  finally  the 
door  opened  and  Mr.  Mason  stepped  out.  He  said  to  them  very  severely, 
"You  men  are  accused  of  leaving  the  hospital  yesterday  without  per 
mission.  What's  your  excuse?" 

The  big  man  with  the  dislocated  shoulder  had  evidently  been  made 
spokesman,  for  he  said  in  a  rather  plaintive  voice,  "Please,  sir,  you  see 
we  heard  firing,  and  I  said  as  how  we  was  bombarding  again,  but  Bill 


400  PERSONAL  BRA  VERY 

Jones  he  climbed  up  in  the  porthole  and  looked  out,  and  he  yelled, 
'There  come  the  Spanish  ships,'  and  when  he  yelled  that  he  dug  out, 
and  we  followed  him.  And  that's  all  I  knows  about  it,  sir,"  and  Mr. 
Mason,  martinet  as  he  tried  to  be,  although  almost  always  unsuccess 
fully,  found  himself  suddenly  summoned  into  his  cabin  for  a  few  moments 
to  look  for  a  notebook  or  something,  and  when  he  emerged  he  dismissed 
the  men  with  an  exceedingly  mild  reprimand. 

WOUNDED  MARINES  REMAIN  AT  STATION  DURING  FIGHT 

Quite  late  in  the  action  Captain  Murphy  found  two  of  his  men 
wounded.  One  of  them,  Private  Flynn,  had  been  hit  in  the  back  by  a 
splinter,  while  the  other,  Private  Barfield,  had  been  hit  in  the  leg  with  a 
flying  piece  of  shell.  He  ordered  them  both  to  the  hospital  for  examin 
ation  and  treatment,  but  both  of  them  pleaded  so  hard  to  stay,  and 
insisted  they  were  not  hurt  badly,  that  their  request  to  serve  their  gun 
was  complied  with,  and  they  remained  at  their  stations  during  the  entire 
action. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
SCHLErS  STORT 

ADMIRAL  SCHLEY'S  own  story  of  the  fight  is  told  in  a  most 
unassuming,  modest,  and  yet  intensely  graphic  and  interesting 
manner.     He  takes  no  credit  for  himself,  gives  honor  and  glory  to  the 
captains  and  men  under  him,  and  is  entirely  free  of  the  slightest  touch 
of  criticism  or  censure.     The  Admiral  says  : 

WE  BOMBARDED  THE   FORTS 

On  July  2d  the  manoeuvres  of  the  American  army  on  shore  had 
been  such  as  to  cut  off  the  movements  of  the  Spanish  to  the  westward 
of  the  port.  The  former  had  very  nearly  closed  in  their  circle  around- 
Santiago,  and  the  Spanish  were  beginning  to  abandon  the  hills  to  the 
west  of  the  city,  all  the  while  closely  followed  up  and  harassed  by  the 
Cuban  insurgents.  These  movements  we  interpreted  fairly  and  prop 
erly,  and  on  the  morning  of  July  2d  we  bombarded  the  forts  again.  I 
understood  it  to  be  a  joint  operation  of  army  and  navy  forces,  and  after 
a  couple  of  hours'  bombardment,  we  withdrew.  I  do  not  recall  that  on 
this  occasion  the  Spanish  batteries  fired  upon  us  during  our  withdrawal, 
as  they  did  during  the  two  previous  bombardments  of  the  6th  and 

16th  of  July. 

SIGNAL   FIRES  WERE   OBSERVED 

We  took  up  our  usual  blockading  station,  and  toward  evening  cer 
tain  fires  were  observed  on  the  hills  toward  the  westward.     I  think  that 

401 


402  SCH LEV'S  STORY 

Mr.  Graham  of  the  Associated  Press,  who  was  with  me,  and  I,  counted 
six.  They  appeared  to  be  signal  fires.  At  the  same  time  I  noticed  in 
the  harbor  a  good  deal  of  smoke  coming  up,  going  straight  into  the  air, 
apparently  over  the  hill  of  the  Socapa.  It  looked  to  me  very  much  as 
if  the  Spanish  ships  there  were  arranging  themselves  in  order  for  a 
sortie,  which  seemed  to  be  at  that  time  one  of  the  only  things  that 
probably  could  be  done.  I  was  so  much  impressed  by  this  that  I  called 
the  Vixen  alongside  and  directed  a  message  to  be  sent  to  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  that  the  movements  in  the  harbor  looked  very  suspicious 
to  me.  That  message  was  answered,  because  we  all  moved  into  closer 
position  that  night.  On  the  26th  of  June  I  had  telegraphed  this  same 
information  and  it  was  then  followed  by  an  order  from  Admiral  Sampson 
to  move  in — as  we  all  did  move  in — to  a  closer  position  at  night.  I  am 
almost  certain  that  the  message  was  brought  back  on  this  latter  occasion 
to  move  in  a  little  closer,  as  we  all  did. 

THE   HEAT  WAS   INSUPPORTABLE 

In  connection  with  the  same  matter  of  suspicious  smoke,  I  sent  for 
Captain  Cook,  and  he  and  I  had  quite  a  conversation  in  regard  to  the 
matter  of  coupling  up  engines.  He  knew  his  ship  perfectly,  and  he 
was  always  a  man  of  excellent  judgment  and  of  good  command;  so  we 
agreed,  after  a  consultation,  that  with  all  boilers  we  could  make  better 
speed  than  if  we  were  to  couple  up  and  continue  to  use  the  whole  force 
of  the  engines  under  reduced  boiler  power.  Another  circumstance 
which  controlled  this  matter  was  the  excessive  heat  in  these  regions. 
It  was  almost  insupportable.  The  sun  shining  all  day  upon  the  steel 
hulls  of  our  vessels  converted  them  into  stoves  at  night,  so  that  I,  and 
I  think  a  number  of  the  officers  as  well,  rarely  went  below  until  after 
the  land  breeze  came  from  the  mountains  and  made  it  cooler. 

We  concluded  it  would  be  better  not  to  couple  the  engines.     Cap- 


SCH LEY'S  STORY  405 

tain  Cook  told  me  he  could  make  eighteen  and  one-half  knots,  to  which 
I  replied,  ''If  you  can  make  eighteen  and  one-half  knots  you  will  prob 
ably  be  able  to  make  two  or  three  more  than  the  Spanish  ships  can,  for  I 
am  told  that  their  bottoms  are  very  foul."  So  I  know  that  there  was  an 
apprehension  in  my  own  mind  that  if  the  fleet  in  the  harbor  should  con 
template  coming  out  soon,  we  should  be  unprepared  if  caught  in  the  act 
of  coupling  our  engines,  a  process  which  required  fully  an  hour,  if  not 
more,  on  account  of  the  peculiar  coupling.  It  was  a  sort  of  cone,  and 
the  engines  had  to  be  jacked  around  into  exact  position,  and  unless  the 
holes  were  perfectly  fair  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  couple.  Whilst  it 
was  a  very  strong  coupling,  it  was  an  inconvenient  one  for  quick  work. 
The  result  was  that  we  concluded  we  would  trust  to  the  single  engines 
and  all  boiler  power,  should  that  be  necessary. 

WOULD  HAVE  EXHAUSTED  THE  ENGINEER  FORCE 

Of  course  these  tandem  engines  heated  up  would  have  made  it 
almost  insupportable.  The  forward  engine  room  was  largely  used  by 
the  boiler  force  to  pass  into  it,  where  it  was  cooler  from  the  updraught, 
and  if  we  had  used  it  the  probability  is  that  we  would  have  exhausted  a 
good  many  of  our  engineer  people,  which  was  a  very  important  con 
sideration  under  the  circumstances,  and  was  a  matter  that  had  to  be 
regarded. 

THE  NEW  YORK  LEAVES  FOR  THE  EASTWARD 

July  3d  broke  a  perfectly  beautiful  day.  The  skies  were  flecked 
with  white  clouds  and  the  breeze  continued  a  little  bit  longer  off  the  land 
that  morning  than  usual — light,  it  is  true.  After  I  had  gotten  my  break 
fast  I  came  up  to  take  a  survey  of  the  situation — to  look  about  and  see 
what  could  be  observed  with  the  glasses.  We  were  lying  at  that  time 
possibly  four  miles  from  the  land,  and  I  remember  having  wondered  very 
much  why  the  Spanish  had  permitted  us  to  remain  so  close,  for  we 


406  SCHLEY'S  STORY 

were  constantly  under  their  batteries,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  inquiry  and 
discussion  aboard  the  ship  why  the  guns  did  not  fire  on  us.  At  a 
quarter  of  nine  my  orderly  reported  to  me  that  a  signal  had  been  made 
from  the  flagship  to  disregard  movements,  and  that  she  had  gone 
eastward. 

I  looked  over  the  ground  and  situation.  I  did  not,  of  course,  know 
where  she  had  gone.  I  sat  under  an  awning  that  we  usually  had  put 
into  position  each  day  as  the  sun  rose,  in  order  that  the  officers  might 
collect  there.  I  think  we  had  also  one  forward  for  the  men. 

THOUGHT  HILL  FIRES  SUSPICIOUS 

Mr.  Graham,  Lieutenant  Sears  and  I  sat  there  discussing  the  smoke 
in  the  harbor,  and  Ensign  McCauley  was  wig-wagging  a  few  signals  to 
"Jack"  Philip,  asking  his  views  on  the  hill  fires  and  the  smoke,  Philip 
responding  that  he  thought  them  suspicious.  Then  the  Chicago  Record 
boat  came  along  and  Mr.  Chamberlain,  who  was  aboard  her,  called  for 
news.  I  pointed  to  the  flagship  disappearing  to  the  east  and  said  to 
him:  ''Follow  her  up  and  you  may  get  some,"  and  he  started  after  her. 

THE  FLEET  IS  COMING  OUT 

After  having  gone  below  for  a  little  while  I  came  back  on  deck  with 
my  glasses,  and  whilst  I  was  sitting  in  this  position,  abaft  on  the  hatch 
way,  1  heard  a  call  from  the  forward-bridge,  "Tell  the  Commodore  that 
the  fleet  is  coming  out."  That  was  some  time  after  the  men  had  been 
called  to  quarters.  How  many  minutes  I  don't  remember,  but  in  the 
vicinity  of  9:35,  according  to  our  time. 

The  Brooklyn  at  this  moment  was  lying  with  her  head  in  toward 
the  land  in  the  direction  of  Cabanas,  which  was  a  little  cove  to  the  west 
ward  and  was  one  of  the  marking  points  that  we  used  in  maintaining 
our  position.  I  looked  over  the  starboard  side  and  saw  the  enemy 


SCH LEY'S  STORY  407 

coming  out  of  the  entrance,  and  realizing  that  there  was  very  consider 
able  time,  I  looked  eastward  to  see  the  order  of  the  ships  as  they  were 
arranged.  I  saw  the  Texas  apparently,  I  should  say,  a  point  or  more 
abaft  the  starboard  beam.  My  own  recollection  now,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
state  it,  is  that  the  Brooklyn's  head  was  pretty  nearly  north-northwest, 
she  being  drifted  around. 

POSITIONS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  SHIPS 

The  Texas  appeared  to  me  to  be  headed  on  some  one  of  the  east 
erly  courses.  I  saw  just  ahead  of  her,  to  the  left,  the  Iowa.  She  was, 
of  course,  to  the  eastward  of  the  Texas.  The  Oregon  was  to  the  east 
ward  of  the  Iowa.  The  Indiana  was  to  the  eastward  of  that  position, 
and  the  Gloucester  was  lying  in  under  the  land,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Aguadores. 

The  New  York  was  out  of  sight  and  out  of  signal  distance  with 
glasses.  I  looked  at  that  in  order  to  determine  what  my  position  in  the 
action  was  to  be.  Of  course  if  she  had  not  been,  I  should  not  have 
given  or  made  a  signal. 

THEY  ARE  COMING  RIGHT  AT  US 

In  the  meantime  I  had  gone  forward  to  a  little  platform  that  I  had 
had  constructed  around  the  conning  tow^r  as  my  position  in  the  battle, 
the  position  that  I  would  take  in  order  to  be  very  close  in  with  Captain 
Cook.  I  had  only  been  there  a  moment  or  two  when  Captain  Cook  joined 
me.  Mr.  Hodgson,  who  was  on  the  upper  bridge,  sang  out  something 
to  the  Captain  about  being  connected  up  and  all  ready,  and  he  at  the 
same  time  said  to  me:  "Commodore,  they  are  coming  right  at  us." 
"Well,"  I  said,  "go  right  for  them."  The  helm  was  put  aport.  The  ship 
was  started  ahead,  first  at  half  speed.  She  took  her  v/ay  very  quickly, 
and  when  we  headed  around,  of  course,  I  said  to  Captain  Cook,  "Go 


408  SCHLEY'S  STORY 

ahead;  full  speed,"  and  hoisted  the  signal  to  clear  ship  for  action.  We 
generally  made  that  signal  because  there  was  around  the  quarter-deck 
and  the  forecastle  of  most  of  these  ships  a  little  temporary  railing,  com 
posed  usually  of  oars  and  rope,  to  keep  the  people  from  getting  over 
board,  and  generally  an  awning  of  some  sort  or  other.  That  was  followed 
by  "Close  up,"  or  "Close  action."  The  Brooklyn,  as  well  as  the  other 
vessels  of  the  squadron,  charged  immediately  in  to  the  entrance,  in 
accordance  with  the  original  plan  of  sinking  them  in  the  entrance  or 
driving  them  ashore  there. 

HEAD  FOR  THE  ENEMY 

We  continued  directly  for  the  head  of  the  enemy's  column,  the  idea 
uppermost  in  my  mind  being  that  if  we  could  arrest  them  long  enough 
for  the  battleships  to  close  in  and  knock  them  to  pieces,  that  would  be 
our  best  point  of  attack.  We  continued  on  this  course,  porting  and  star 
boarding  to  meet  the  movements  of  the  leading  ship,  which  I  assumed 
to  be  the  flagship  from  a  flag  at  her  masthead,  and  I  suppose  from  the 
start,  as  nearly  as  I  can  recall,  we  were  ten  to  twelve  minutes  turning 
first  with  port  helm  and  then  advancing  directly  to  the  enemy.  I  saw 
the  ships  to  the  eastward  and  westward  closing  in.  I  said  to  Captain 
Cook:  "  'Close  action'  or  'Close  up'  has  been  hoisted,  and  it  means  to 
keep  outside  of  a  thousand  yards,  so  as  to  be  out  of  their  effective  torpedo 
range.  Much  will  depend  on  this  ship  this  day."  Captain  Cook  was 
standing  alongside  of  me.  He  said:  "Yes,  we  will  soon  be  within  the 
cross  fire  of  these  ships."  I  said:  "Yes."  We  had  advanced  and  were 
firing.  The  first  gun  was  fired  by  Lieutenant  Simpson,  almost  directly 
over  the  forecastle  of  the  ship.  I  saw  the  leading  ship,  which  apparently 
had  started  with  the  intention  of  ramming,  take  a  rank  sheer  to  the  west 
ward,  leaving  a  gap  between  her  and  the  ship  following,  which  subse 
quently  proved  to  be  the  Viscaya.  We  were  standing  in  the  direction 
of  the  Viscaya,  when  she  also,  if  she  had  been  minded  to  ram,  seemed 


SCHLEY'S  STORY  411 

to  have  given  up  the  intention,  and  turned  also  to  the  westward,  following 
the  direction  of  the  leading  ship. 

THE  FAMOUS  CIRCLE  OF  THE  BROOKLYN 

It  then  became  apparent,  as  we  were  steering  on  a  diametrically 
opposite  course,  that  the  original  plan  had  failed,  and  that  this  Spanish 
fleet,  in  order,  and  apparently  at  distance,  had  succeeded  in  passing  the 
battleship  line.  The  new  feature  or  phase  of  the  fight  became  immedi 
ately  apparent,  the  first  having  failed.  The  disposition  was  to  be  made, 
then,  that  was  to  control  the  subsequent  battle.  Immediately  Cook  gave 
the  order  to  port  his  helm.  I  did  not.  I  should  have  done  it  in  a  second. 
I  saw  the  ship's  head  swinging  very  rapidly,  and  I  asked  him  whether 
his  helm  was  hard  aport.  I  think  he  said,  "Hard  aport."  In  making 
the  turn  I  have  never  seen  a  ship  turn  more  rapidly  than  she  did,  and 
her  turn  was  absolutely  continuous.  There  was  no  easing  of  her  helm. 
I  never  saw  the  starboard  side  of  the  Texas  at  all.  We  were  never 
across  her  bow.  I  only  saw  her  port  side,  and  she  never  approached 
any  position  that  was  within  600  yards  of  the  Brooklyn.  She  was  so 
distant  that  she  never  entered  my  head  at  all  as  a  menace  or  danger. 
We  passed  completely  around  the  circle. 

NEARNESS  OF  THE  FIRST  SPANISH  SHIP 

The  last  range  that  was  given  was  1,100  yards,  and  a  feature  of 
the  nearness  of  the  first  Spanish  ship,  which  has  impressed  itself  upon 
my  mind,  and  will  never  be  forgotten,  was  that  I  could  see  men  running 
from  her  turret  to  her  superstructure  deck,  and  I  observed  the  daylight 
between  their  legs  as  they  ran.  That  I  saw  with  my  naked  eye. 

We  turned  immediately  about,  and  I  was  for  a  long  time  under  the 
impression  that  the  Brooklyn's  starboard  engine  was  backed,  from  the 
fact  that  I  was  standing  upon  the  starboard  side,  and  upon  looking  astern 


412  SCH LEY'S  STORY 

I  saw  an  unusual  amount  of  churned  water.  It  looked  to  me  very  much 
as  if  that  engine  had  been  backing,  and,  though  the  matter  was  not  one 
of  record,  as  I  found  out  subsequently,  I  had  alv/ays  been  under  the 
impression,  or  at  least  I  was  for  some  time,  that  that  engine  had  backed. 

DISPOSES  OF  THE  ALLEGED  HODGSON  COLLOQUY 

During  the  turn  Mr.  Hodgson  very  properly  made  some  allusion  to 
look  out,  perhaps,  for  the  Texas.  I  do  not  recollect  what  it  was;  but 
there  was  never  any  colloquy  of  any  character  between  Mr.  Hodgson 
and  myself.  First,  he  was  too  good  an  officer  to  have  transgressed  one 
of  the  plainest  duties  of  an  officer  at  that  time;  and,  second,  if  he  had 
undertaken  it  I  would  not  have  permitted  it  for  a  second.  As  I  say, 
that  is  fiction.  There  was  no  colloquy. 

THE  SPANISH  SHIPS  CONCENTRATE  FIRE  ON  BROOKLYN 

Before  we  turned,  the  leading  ship  was  abeam,  or  a  little  abaft  the 
beam.  When  we  turned  about  she  was  ahead  of  us— that  is,  on  the 
starboard  bow — and  all  four  ships  and  the  forts  were  firing  at  the  same 
time.  I  looked  over  and  saw  the  forts  firing.  From  that  moment,  for 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  was  the  most  furious  part  of  this  entire  combat. 
!  remember  seeing  very  distinctly  from  time  to  time,  as  my  attention 
was  attracted  for  the  moment,  the  jets  of  water  ahead  and  astern  and 
over  and  short,  and  the  roar  of  projectiles  was  one  of  the  things  that 
can  only  be  heard  once  in  a  lifetime,  and  then  never  forgotten.  It 
appeared  to  me  at  that  moment  that  all  four  of  these  Spanish  ships  were 
at  work  upon  the  Brooklyn;  and  up  to  that  moment,  up  to  the  moment 
of  turning,  so  far  as  we  could  perceive,  there  was  not  the  slightest  evi 
dence  that  they  had  even  been  injured.  The  thought  passed  through  my 
mind  that  after  all  our  precautions  and  waiting  these  fellows  would  get 
away. 


SCHLEY'S  STORY  413 

At  that  moment  I  felt,  and  remarked  to  Captain  Cook,  that  we  were 
alone,  and  would  perhaps  have  most  of  that  fight  upon  ourselves, 
because  I  did  not  know  then  that  the  battleships  could  possibly  keep 
up  their  speed,  but  I  said  to  him:  "We  must  stay  with  this  crowd." 
I  had  no  idea  that  we  would  escape.  I  thought,  of  course,  that  if  they 
could  shoot  as  well  as  our  people  did  they  would  certainly  get  us  and 
sink  us,  because  they  were  protected  battleships  as  big  as  the  Texas, 
while  the  Brooklyn  was  a  very  large  target,  high  out  of  the  water  and 
easy  to  hit. 

When  we  had  got  completely  turned  around  on  a  westerly  course, 
the  ships  of  our  squadron  appeared  to  have  become  broken  up  a  little, 
although  still  in  some  semblance  of  formation,  and  just  at  that  moment 
I  saw  the  Oregon,  breaking  in  through  the  cloud  envelope  of  smoke. 
She  pushed  through  onto  the  starboard  quarter  of  the  flagship.  I  had 
hoisted  the  signal  of  "Close  up,"  and  "Follow  the  flag/'  feeling  that  a 
new  disposition  was  necessary,  and  that  signal  was  replied  to  by  the 
Oregon  and  by  her  repeated,  for  Captain  Clark  knew  very  well  it  was 
not  intended  for  him,  because  he  was  following  the  flag,  and  so  he 
repeated  it  to  the  other  ships. 

WONDERFUL  GUN  FIRE  OF  AMERICAN  SHIPS 

In  a  very  few  moments  after  the  appearance  of  the  Oregon— she 
was  at  that  time  perhaps  400  or  500  yards  distant — these  two  ships, 
the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon,  were  a  sheet  of  flame.  I  never  saw  such 
a  fire,  and  never  realized  what  rapid  gun  fire  really  meant  before, 
because  at  that  time  both  ships  were  masses  of  flame.  It  was  within 
a  very  few  moments  after  this  that  I  noticed  that  the  leading  Spanish 
ship  was  evidently  badly  hurt,  for  she  lagged  astern.  I  saw  the  smoke 
coming  out  of  her  ports,  and  immediately  after  from  her  hatches,  and 
the  fact  that  most  impressed  itself  upon  me  was  that  the  columns  were 


414  SCHLEY'S  STORY 

going  up  almost  straight  into  the  air.  I  said  to  Captain  Cook,  who  was 
always  at  my  side  and  in  my  confidence,  "We  have  got  one.  Keep  the 
boys  below  informed  of  all  the  movements.  They  can't  see,  and  they 
want  to  know."  And  he  did,  throughout  the  action.  Every  few 
moments  messages  were  sent  below  to  the  men,  and  were  answered 
oftentimes  by  cheers  that  we  could  hear  through  the  ventilators. 

THE  OQUENDO  ON  FIRE  GOES  ASHORE 

It  appeared  to  be  a  very  short  interval  of  time  after  that  that  I  saw 
a  second  Spanish  ship  on  fire,  which  proved  later  to  be  the  Oquendo. 
She  evidently  had  suffered  very  severely,  and  she  started,  of  course, 
immediately  inshore,  leaving  the  Viscaya  and  the  Colon.  The  Viscaya 
at  once  took  a  leading  position  on  the  bow,  and  I  thought  for  a  little 
while  that  perhaps  she  would  outfoot  us.  The  Colon  worked  inshore, 
and  from  the  time  of  the  disappearance,  at  least  the  dropping  out  of  the 
action  of  the  two  leading  ships,  until  the  Viscaya  turned  inward  was  a 
period  of  perhaps  thirty  minutes,  during  which  she  was  abreast  of  the 
Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon. 

Just  before  the  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Oquendo  turned  in,  I  looked 
to  the  eastward  and  got  occasional  glimpses  of  the  Indiana  and  of  the 
Gloucester.  I  could  not  see  very  well  what  they  were  doing,  on  account 
of  the  thick  clouds  of  smoke,  but  I  knew  that  both  were  doing  admir 
able  work. 

FIRST  THOUGHT  TO  TAKE  CARE  OF  ALL  SURVIVORS 

When  I  saw  the  two  Spanish  ships  lower  their  flags  and  run  for 
shore  in  much  distress,  I  felt  that  the  commanding  officers  of  our 
squadron  whose  ships  could  not  be  kept  up  to  the  pace  of  the  fight, 
would  turn  in  to  the  wrecks  and  take  care  of  all  survivors,  not  only 
saving  the  Spanish  prisoners  from  the  terrible  fires  on  their  ships  created 


4V 


SCHLEY'S  STORY  417 

by  the  American  shells,  but  from  the  insurgents  along  the  shore,  who 
were  waiting  for  any  who  might  make  their  way  through  the  surf. 

About  thirty  minutes  had  elapsed  from  the  turning  in  or  the  wound 
ing  of  the  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Oquendo,  until  the  Viscaya  followed  their 
example.  The  Viscaya  was  a  little  forward  of  the  beam  of  the  Brooklyn, 
and  I  do  not  think  over  2,300  yards  distant  at  any  time.  She  was  in 
the  most  excellent  target  range,  and  I  remember  on  the  way  out  inquiring 
of  a  man  in  the  top  (one  of  the  marines),  who  was  under  this  heavy  fire 
of  the  two  ships,  and  he  reported  that  he  did  not  see  any  of  the  shots 
hitting  the  water ;  so  I  imagine  from  that  that  he  meant  they  were  strik 
ing  the  ship. 


19 


CHAPTER  XXIV 
A    WONDERFUL    CHASE 

ADMIRAL  SCHLEY  continues  his  story  as  follows: 
On  the  trip  outward,  after  the  turn,  I  was  very  anxious  about 
the  ranges,  because  I  did  not  want  the  Viscaya  and  the  Colon  to  get  out 
of  good  fighting  range.  Ellis,  who  was  an  expert  man  with  the  stadim- 
eter,  constantly  kept  his  instrument  on  these  vessels;  and  knowing 
exactly  their  heights,  he  reported  to  me  that  they  were  maintaining  the 
same  range.  I  thought,  however,  that  my  eye  was  a  little  bit  more 
sensitive,  and  I  said  to  him,  "  No;  they  are  evidently  gaining."  He  went 
out  from  me  the  second  time,  and  that  was  the  last  that  I  saw  of  him. 
In  performing  this  magnificent  duty  he  lost  his  life.  I  did  not  think  he 
was  distant  from  where  I  was  standing  over  eight  or  ten  feet.  His 
brains  and  blood  were  thrown  over  a  great  many  people  and  some  of  it 
reached  me.  He  immediately  fell  to  the  deck,  of  course,  and  it  was  a 
shocking  sight  to  men  who  had  not  before  seen  such  things.  Lieutenant 
McCauley  and  Dr.  DeValin  were  standing  between  me  and  the  tower, 
and  they  picked  up  his  body  and  carried  it  to  the  side.  I  just  happened 
to  see  them  through  this  opening,  and  I  called  out  to  them:  "  No;  do 
not  throw  that  body  overboard."  I  said  to  them  that  I  thought  one  who 
had  fallen  so  gallantly  deserved  to  be  buried  as  a  Christian;  and  his 
body  was  laid  under  the  lee  of  the  forward  turret  and  covered  over  with 
a  blanket,  and  there  kept  until  after  the  battle  was  over. 

Just  before  the  Viscaya  turned  to  run  ashore  she  put  her  helm  astar- 
board,  apparently  starting  out  for  the  Brooklyn  or  the  Oregon,  I  do  not 

419 


420  A   WONDERFUL  CHASE 

know  which.  At  that  moment  she  evidently  got  a  very  severe  wound, 
for  I  saw  quite  an  explosion  under  her  bow.  A  moment  afterward  she 
put  her  helm  hard  aport,  turning  inshore,  with  smoke  coming  from  all  of 
her  hatches,  and  I  thought  she  was  going  to  capsize,  as  she  had  such  a 
tremendous  list  to  port.  At  that  moment  I  saw  a  shell  strike  her,  which 
appeared  to  me  to  rake  her  fore  and  aft,  and  I  thought  to  myself  that 
she  would  sink  in  deep  water,  so  I  told  the  signal  officer  to  signal  the 
Texas  to  look  out  for  her  men — her  people — and  save  them.  The 
Texas,  however,  was  too  far  astern  to  receive  the  message,  and  I  made 
the  remark  at  the  time:  "  Well,  Philip  is  always  sensible ;  he  needs  no 
instructions  about  such  things." 

THE  BROOKLYN  LOSES  HER  SIGNAL  HALYARDS  IN  THE  FIGHT 

In  the  tremendous  part  of  the  fight  to  the  eastward  all  of  the  signal 
halyards  of  my  ship  were  cut,  with  one  exception.  One  of  the  speed 
cones,  that  we  had  hoisted  in  order  to  indicate  speed,  was  cut  and  came 
very  near  striking  me  on  the  bridge.  It  came  down  in  front  of  me  and 
went  overboard. 

THE  COLON  HAD  EDGED  INSHORE 

After  the  Viscaya  had  turned  in,  on  fire,  her  colors  down,  the  Colon 
had  edged  inshore,  and  appeared  to  be  following  the  contour  of  the 
coast.  I  thought  at  that  time,  looking  astern  and  having  seen  what  had 
happened  to  her  consorts,  that  she  was  looking  for  the  best  place  she 
could  find  in  order  to  end  the  matter  at  once.  But  from  Asserredoros, 
which  is  a  point  some  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  west  of  the  harbor  of 
Santiago,  to  the  Rio  Tarquino  is  about  thirty  miles,  perhaps,  and  I  saw 
she  was  out  of  range.  So  I  made  the  signal  to  cease  firing  and  told 
Captain  Cook  to  let  his  men  come  out  of  the  turrets  into  the  cooler  air 
and  get  something  to  eat,  and  to  hurry  up  his  men  below. 


A   WONDERFUL  CHASE  423 

I  think  I  went  into  the  battle  tower  myself  at  that  time  and  sang 
out  to  the  men  below  that  we  had  got  all  hands  of  them  except  one 
and  that  I  thought  they  could  be  relied  upon  to  catch  that  other  vessel. 
I  heard  a  good  deal  of  merriment  and  rejoicing.  I  then  went  back 
again  on  the  bridge  and  soon  realized  that  they  were  doing  their  best. 
There  was  a  jingle  to  the  rails  and  a  vibration  of  the  vessel;  but  I  per 
ceived  at  that  time  that  the  motions  of  the  ship  were  very  sluggish. 
She  was  rolling  in  rather  a  heavy  way,  and  I  suggested  to  Captain  Cook 
that  possibly  we  had  some  compartments  filled  and  he  had  better  look 
out  for  that.  He  said  he  would  send  the  carpenter  down ;  and  it  developed 
that  one  of  the  after  compartments  had  filled  with  water,  which  we 
thought  at  the  time  was  due  to  the  fact  that  we  had  received  some 
injury  below  the  water  line.  The  carpenter,  as  well  as  the  captain, 
thought  it  unwise  to  attempt  to  examine  the  compartment  until  we  could 
get  into  smoother  water  where  we  could  possibly  handle  it  much  more 
readily.  That,  we  decided  to  do. 

THE  SPEED  OF  THE  BROOKLYN  INCREASES 

The  ship's  speed  naturally  came  up  with  some  rapidity.  I  think 
the  Viscaya  had  run  ashore  in  the  neighborhood  of  eleven,  and  toward 
twelve  o'clock  it  became  very  apparent  that  we  were  gaining  upon  the 
chase.  I  said  to  Captain  Cook  several  times  during  the  action  that  it 
would  be  a  good  idea  to  edge  in  a  little  closer,  as  we  could  "finish 
these  fellows  quicker."  He  replied  that  we  had  them  in  the  most 
excellent  target  range,  and  that  the  guns  of  the  two  ships  seemed  to  be 
doing  very  admirable  work.  We  were  pointing  at  that  time  for  Tarquino 
Point — not  Cape  Cruz ;  it  was  Tarquino  Point,  a  point  extending  to  the 
southward.  My  idea  was  in  steering  that  course,  if  the  Colon  kept  up 
her  speed,  she  would  be  obliged  to  come  out;  and  at  that  time  I  said  to 
Captain  Cook  I  would  get  up  a  lot  of  extra  ammunition,  "so  that  when 


424  A   WONDERFUL  CHASE 

we  come  into  close  quarters  it  will  be  a  question  of  a  very  few  minutes 
to  knock  her  out." 

As  we  were  going  out,  of  course  there  were  various  signals 
between  the  Oregon  and  myself — some  of  a  pleasant  character  and 
some  official.  I  gave  Clark  the  order  to  open  fire  with  his  thirteen-inch 
guns;  and  I  had  always  been  under  the  impression,  until  I  heard  him 
say  otherwise,  that  that  order  had  been  transmitted.  That  was  my 
recollection. 

TRYING  THE  THIRTEEN-INCH  GUNS  ON  THE  SPANIARD 

However,  we  continued  to  advance,  the  Oregon  and  the  Brooklyn. 
I  do  not  think  the  Oregon  was  ever  farther  astern  than  800  yards, 
and  at  times  she  worked  up  on  to  our  quarter.  I  do  not  believe  the 
prolongation  of  her  course  at  any  time  would  have  passed  500  yards 
inside  of  the  Brooklyn.  We  were  practically  and  relatively  at  the  same 
distances.  Perhaps  the  Brooklyn  was  a  little  nearer  at  times,  and  at 
times  the  Oregon  a  little  nearer;  but  we  continued  in  this  position  until 
about  12:50,  when  we  realized  that  we  were  within  range  of  the  Colon, 
and  we  tried  the  thirteen  and  eight-inch  guns  on  her.  Several  of  the 
shots  fell  short,  but  I  recollect  a  shot  from  one  of  the  Oregon's  thirteen- 
inch  guns  which  passed  entirely  over  the  Colon,  and  one  from  one  of 
the  eight-inch  guns  of  the  Brooklyn  that  also  passed  over  her.  I  saw 
with  my  own  eyes  the  jet  of  water  beyond,  and  thought  it  had  gone 
through  her ;  but  it  appears  that  it  did  not  strike  her. 

I  GAVE  THE  ORDER  TO  CEASE  FIRING 

At  that  time,  the  position  of  the  Colon  being  directly  under  the  fire 
of  the  two  American  ships,  there  was  apparently  no  question  in  the  mind 
of  her  captain  but  that  it  would  be  fatal,  and  I  think  he  did  exactly  right. 
The  sacrifice  of  life  would  have  been  unnecessary.  So  he  fired  a  gun 


A    WONDERFUL  CHASE  425 

to  leeward  and  hauled  his  flag  down,  running  his  ship  onto  a  bar  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Rio  Tarquino.  I  signaled  at  once  that  the  enemy  had 
surrendered  and  gave  the  order  to  cease  firing.  We  hauled  up  and 
immediately  passed  into  a  position  about  a  thousand  yards  from  the  Colon. 
I  remember  that  just  previous  Captain  Cook  asked  me  if  we  should 
slow  up,  and  I  replied,  "No,  continue  in;  you  look  out  for  the  boat,  and 
I  will  take  the  navigator  and  the  first  lieutenant,  here,  and  we  will  con 
trol  her  otherwise."  The  boat  referred  to  was  the  one  desired  to  be 
used  in  going  over  to  the  Colon,  and  we  had  considerable  difficulty  in 
getting  her  launched,  for  the  steam  had  been  turned  off,  and  also  the 
cranes  had  been  struck  a  number  of  times,  and  we  were  more  or  less 
jammed. 

Captain  Cook  went  to  give  orders  about  the  boat  and  to  change 
his  coat,  as  we  were  all  in  fighting  rig,  and  it  was  certainly  1:30  when 
we  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Colon.  She  was  about  four  miles  away 
from  us  when  she  had  hauled  down  her  flag,  and  as  we  were  running 
then  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifteen  knots,  the  time  elapsed  would  have 
been  perhaps  twelve  or  fourteen  minutes,  so  I  think  from  1:15  to  1:30 
was  about  the  interval  of  time. 

UNCONDITIONAL  SURRENDER 

When  this  surrender  took  place,  I  naturally  felt  interested  in  the 
vessels  that  were  following,  and  I.  was  then  on  the  bridge,  and  with  my 
glasses  I  saw  three  vessels  astern.  I  could  see  the  masts  of  two,  but 
only  the  smoke  of  the  third  one.  We  lowered  our  boat  at  that  time  and 
Captain  Cook  went  aboard.  He  said  to  me:  "Commodore,  what  are 
the  terms  of  surrender?"  I  replied,  "Unconditional.  These  are  matters 
that  the  Commander-in-Chief  must  arrange.  We  can  only  receive 
unconditional  surrender." 

At  about  twenty-three   minutes  after  two  o'clock  the   New  York 


426  A   WONDERFUL  CHASE 

came  up.  We  had  distinguished  her,  and  I  had  made  signals  to  her. 
Of  course  there  was  not  very  much  breeze  in  under  the  land  to  set  the 
flags  out,  and  she  was  quite  a  half  hour  in  answering  us. 

When  she  came  up  I  also  made  the  signal  to  her  that  it  was  a 
glorious  day  for  our  country,  and  as  soon  as  I  could  pay  my  respects, 
I  went  on  board. 

COMMODORE  SCHLEY  REPORTS  BATTLE  TO  SAMPSON 

In  the  meantime,  Captain  Cook,  who  had  been  detained  some  little 
time  on  board  the  Colon,  started  off  to  make  his  report  and,  boarding 
the  New  York,  did  so.  When  he  returned  I  took  the  boat  and  went  on 
board  the  flagship  myself.  There  I  reported  substantially  what  had 
occurred,  narrating  the  incidents  and  features  of  the  battle  in  a  hurried 
way.  After  having  made  this  statement  to  the  Commander-in-Chief,  a 
group  of  the  officers,  who  were  standing  on  the  opposite  side,  came  up 
to  me  and  asked  me  about  the  details  of  the  battle,  everybody,  of  course, 
being  interested  in  them,  and  I  again  rehearsed  them  in  a  hasty  manner. 

Just  then,  the  chaplain  of  the  New  York,  Chaplain  Royce,  came  up 
to  me  and  said,  "Commodore,  your  work  is  not  over  yet.  The  Resolute 
has  just  arrived  and  Captain  Eaton  reports  that  there  is  a  Spanish  battle 
ship  on  the  coast,  and  the  Admiral  wants  to  see  you." 

ORDERED  TO  TAKE  OREGON  AND  MEET  STRANGE  SHIP 

I  went  over  and  there  I  found  Captain  Clark  in  the  presence  of  the 
Commander-in-Chief.  I  made  some  suggestion  to  the  latter  about  hoist 
ing  the  flag  on  the  Colon,  and  said  to  him  that  if  he  had  not  come  I  was 
prepared  to  have  sent  a  force  of  fifty  or  sixty  men,  mechanics  and 
marines,  on  board  to  take  possession,  to  avoid  anything  like  "monkey 
ing"  with  her.  My  impression  is  that  I  used  those  words,  I  said  that, 


A   WONDERFUL  CHASE  429 

because  in  approaching  her  I  saw  a  number  of  what  afterward  proved 
to  be  breechblocks  that  were  being  thrown  overboard,  and  I  thought  that 
there  might  be  some  possibility  of  the  Spanish  injuring  her  piping  below, 
flooding  her,  and  so  on,  and  that  was  the  occasion  of  the  suggestion. 
But  as  soon  as  he  stated  that  he  wished  me  to  take  the  Oregon  and  go 
eastward  and  meet  this  ship,  I  must  say  that  I  felt  some  little  delight, 
because  I  thought  that  after  the  admirable  work  of  the  squadron  on  that 
day,  and  the  part  the  Oregon  and  the  Brooklyn  had  in  it,  there  was  not 
anything  that  carried  the  Spanish  colors  that  we  should  have  hesitated 
to  meet.  So  immediately  I  started  for  my  own  ship,  stopping  on  the  way, 
I  think,  to  get  the  chaplain  of  the  Texas  in  order  to  bury  our  man  who 
had  been  killed,  and  from  there  I  went  on  board  the  Brooklyn  and  made 
signal  to  the  Oregon  to  follow  the  flag,  and  started  eastward  at  pretty 
high  speed.  After  I  had  been  gone  some  little  time  I  saw  that  the 
Oregon  did  not  follow,  and  I  naturally  assumed  that  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  had  detained  her  for  other  work  which  he  needed  done. 

After  I  had  gotten  about  an  hour  away,  perhaps  a  little  less,  I  saw 
coming  from  the  eastward  what  afterward  proved  to  be  the  Vixen,  with 
the  flag  lieutenant,  Lieutenant  Staunton,  on  board.  He  came  up 
alongside  of  and  hailed  me,  saying  that  the  smoke  which  I  saw  on  the 
eastern  horizon  was  that  of  the  Pelayo;  that  he  had  gone  close  enough 
to  distinguish  her  and  make  out  her  colors,  and  that  he  was  sure  it  was 
the  Pelayo. 

TROUBLE  IN  MAKING  OUT  COLORS 

I  told  him  to  go  west  and  inform  the  Commander-in-Chief,  and 
stated  that  the  Brooklyn  would  go  east  and  meet  the  Pelayo.  As  we 
approached  what  was  supposed  to  be  the  Pelayo,  I  must  confess  that  I 
was  a  good  deal  confused  in  attempting  to  distinguish  the  difference  in 
the  two  colors.  She  had  both  at  her  mastheads,  and  that  only 
impressed  me  with  the  idea  that  she  was  cleared  and  in  battle  array — 


430  A    WONDERFUL  CHASE 

the  difference  in  the  color  being  red,  white  and  red  for  the  Austrian  flag, 
and  red,  yellow  and  red  for  the  Spanish  flag,  in  horizontal  stripes. 

THE  AUSTRIAN  SHIP  MAKES  SIGNAL 

We  kept  our  battery  trained  upon  the  ship,  and  had  reached  a 
position  of  about  1,800  yards,  and  I  had  just  given  the  order  to  Captain 
Cook  to  stand  by.  Perceiving,  however,  that  we  were  a  little  too  close 
inshore  to  manoeuvre  and  that  our  starboard  battery  was  almost  entirely 
disabled,  I  ported  the  helm  to  get  a  little  more  room  and  to  engage  her 
with  the  port  side,  the  battery  of  which  was  complete  and  entire.  As  I 
ported  the  helm  she  did  the  same,  and  that  only  convinced  me  that 
there  was  no  question  that  she  was  looking  for  us  or  knew  that  we  were 
looking  for  her.  In  a  few  moments  my  signal  officer,  Lieutenant 
McCauley,  called  to  me:  ''She  is  making  a  signal." 

It  was  then  toward  dusk,  and  she  had  turned  her  searchlights  up 
onto  her  flags,  in  order  to  call  our  attention  to  them,  which,  of  course, 
confused  us ;  and  that  signal,  by  the  code,  was  interpreted  to  mean  that 
she  was  an  Austrian.  Of  course  we  immediately  trained  our  guns  off 
of  her  and  passing  under  her  stern,  stopped.  Her  commanding  officer 
came  on  board.  He  was  looking  for  some  one  to  give  him  authority 
to  go  into  Santiago  de  Cuba  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  away  refugees 
and  other  persons  who  would  desire  to  leave  the  port  before  the  opera 
tions  of  the  army  were  entirely  completed.  I  said  to  him  that  I  did  not 
believe  that  he  would  be  permitted  to  go  into  the  harbor;  that  it  was 
mined,  and  that  I  did  not  think  his  wish  would  be  granted.  I  advised 
him  to  keep  outside  of  the  line  of  the  blockade  that  night,  inasmuch  as, 
not  having  the  night  letter,  he  might  be  mistaken  and  fired  into. 

It  proved  that  this  ship  was  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  of  the 
Austrian  Navy,  a  turreted  ship — not  a  barbette  ship,  as  the  Pelayo  was. 
We  had  pictures  of  these  various  ships  about  the  Brooklyn  and  the  men 


A    WONDERFUL  CHASE  431 

were  quite  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  almost  all  the  Spanish 
vessels,  so  that  they  could  be  easily  recognized.  I  remember  my 
attention  was  called  to  the  fact,  as  soon  as  we  could  distinguish  her 
turrets,  that  she  was  not  the  Pelayo  at  all,  but  that  she  was  either  the 
Carlos  V.  or  the  Cardinal  Cisneros.  When  we  had,  after  first  sighting 
her,  thus  settled  her  identity,  we,  of  course,  felt  a  great  deal  relieved, 
because  most  of  us  then  considered  that  the  fight  would  be  quicker  and 
easier  with  a  vessel  nearer  the  type  of  the  Brooklyn ;  but,  fortunately, 
we  did  not  have  to  meet  her.  With  the  surrender  of  the  Colon  the 
battle  had  ended,  and  there  were  no  further  operations. 

BROOKLYN  RETURNS  TO  STATION  OFF  SANTIAGO 

We  returned  to  the  squadron  that  night.  The  Commander-in-Chief 
signaled  to  me  before  I  left  that  he  would  remain  and  transfer  the  crew 
from  the  Colon  to  the  vessels  there,  so  I  went  on  to  the  eastward, 
feeling  that  under  the  circumstances  the  proper  position  of  the  second 
in  command  would  be  off  Santiago.  To  that  place  the  Brooklyn  went, 
reaching  the  squadron  off  the  harbor  between  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock, 
nearly  midnight.  As  we  were  passing  down  the  coast,  at  about  half 
past  ten,  just  as  we  were  abreast  of  the  Viscaya,  one  of  her  magazines 
exploded,  and  we  said  as  we  watched  the  flames  in  the  darkness, 
"That  is  her  final  salute." 

INFORMS  SHIPS  OF  DESTRUCTION  OF  COLON 

As  we  approached  the  Indiana  all  those  aboard  her  were  very 
anxious  to  know  what  had  become  of  the  Colon.  I  announced  her 
surrender,  and  that  we  had  captured  her,  and  there  was  great  cheering. 
As  I  passed  on,  Captain  Evans  hailed  me  and  said  that  Admiral  Cervera 
was  aboard  the  Iowa  and  would  like  very  much  to  see  me.  I  went  over 
to  see  him,  directing  my  men  while  on  the  way  that  there  was  to  be  no 


432  A   WONDERFUL  CHASE 

cheering,  as  I  did  not  think  it  would  be  proper  to  exult  over  a  foe  who 
had  fought  and  behaved  so  gallantly,  and  that  all  such  demonstrations 
should  be  omitted,  which  was  done. 

SCHLEY'S  BEAUTIFUL  CONDUCT  TOWARD  SPANISH  ADMIRAL 

I  found  Admiral  Cervera  on  the  after  part  of  the  ship,  and  he  was, 
quite  naturally,  greatly  dejected.  I  said  to  him  that  I  knew  he  had  lost 
everything — his  clothing,  as  well  as  his  money — and  that  I  wanted  to 
say  that  the  object  of  my  visit  was  to  inform  him  that  my  wardrobe,  as 
well  as  my  purse  as  far  as  that  would  go,  was  at  his  service.  He  replied 
that  he  thanked  me  very  much,  and  said  that  he  had  never  met  a  sailor 
who  was  not  a  gentleman;  that  he  was  very  much  obliged,  but  that  all 
he  cared  for  was  to  send  a  dispatch  to  his  government,  or  to  the  captain- 
general,  announcing  what  had  happened  to  his  squadron.  I  told  him 
that  there  would  be  no  objection  whatever  to  that;  and  the  dispatch 
which  he  sent  practically  announced  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish 
squadron,  and  what  he  had  done.  I  informed  him  of  the  fate  of  the 
Colon,  and  that  telegram  was  sent  to  the  captain-general. 

The  one  fact  that  impressed  me  most  strongly  during  the  day's 
battle  was  that  the  officers  and  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  that  strug 
gle  fulfilled  in  the  very  highest  and  in  the  very  noblest  degree  the  tradi 
tions  of  the  American  Navy. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 

AND  the  Spanish  ships.  Four  hours  from  the  time  they  emerged 
from  that  narrow  harbor  entrance  in  their  shining  dress  of  black 
paint,  the  golden  coat-of-arms  of  Spain  on  their  prows,  and  their  silken 
flags  standing  out  proudly  in  the  breeze,  they  lay  shattered,  twisted, 
useless  hulks,  stranded  on  the  coast  of  Cuba.  But  grewsome  as  were 
their  decks  with  mangled  and  mutilated  men,  appalling  as  was  their 
terrible  destruction,  they  were  magnificent  examples  of  the  American 
gunner's  art.  Protected  in  the  majority  of  cases  by  eleven  inches  of 
steel,  they  had  been  literally  riddled  with  shot;  and  then,  as  the  shells 
had  exploded  on  their  decks  and  set  fire  to  their  magazines,  they  had, 
by  internal  explosions,  completed  their  own  destruction. 

THE   FLAGSHIP  MARIA   TERESA   TERRIBLY  DAMAGED 

The  Maria  Teresa  had  been  the  first  to  go  ashore.  She  had  been 
flying  the  broad  pennant  of  Admiral  Cervera,  and  when  she  came  out 
was  prepared,  under  his  orders,  to  make  a  sacrifice  of  herself  in  order 
to  let,  if  possible,  the  Colon  and  the  Viscaya  escape.  She  was  a  mag 
nificent  ship  of  the  same  type  as  the  Oquendo  and  the  Viscaya,  and  in 
armor  and  armament  she  was  fully  equal  to  our  battleship  Texas, 
although  she  was  called  a  cruiser.  She  had  turned  the  mouth  of  the 
harbor  and  started  for  the  west,  before  she  was  hurt  very  badly.  But 
then,  as  told  by  one  of  her  own  officers,  it  seemed  as  if  every  shell  from 

435 


436 


THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 


VIEW  OF  BROOKLYN  SHOWING  HITS 


VIEW  OF  VISCAYA  SHOWING  HITS 


VIEW  OF  OQUENDO  SHOWING  HITS 


VIEW  OF  INFANTA  MARIA  TERESA  SHOWING  HITS 


VIEW  OF  COLON  SHOWING  HITS 


THE  SPANISH  SHIPS  437 

the  American  squadron  took  effect  upon  her  instantaneously.  A  blaze 
rose  aft,  and  the  sailors  were  ordered  to  turn  a  hose  upon  it;  but  to 
their  dismay,  a  shell  had  cut  the  fire  mains,  and  almost  at  the  same 
moment  Captain  Concas,  who  was  near  Admiral  Cervera's  side,  and  one 
of  his  lieutenants,  were  severely  wounded.  Admiral  Cervera  was  then 
compelled  to  take  charge  both  of  the  ship  and  the  fleet.  While  heroic 
efforts  were  being  made  to  stop  the  progress  of  the  flames  aft,  a  shell 
entered  the  cabin  of  Admiral  Cervera  and  set  that  on  fire.  Orders  were 
given  to  flood  the  magazines,  but  even  the  pipes  leading  to  these  had 
been  cut,  and  it  then  became  a  question  of  running  for  shore,  so  that 
those  of  the  men  who  were  still  alive  could  escape  from  incineration, 
or  from  the  ship  being  sunk  by  her  own  explosions. 

DEATH  AND  DESTRUCTION  ON  THE  SPANISH  FLAGSHIP 

The  havoc  among  the  men  was  frightful.  The  chief  boatswain 
fell  on  the  deck  near  where  Captain  Concas  was  lying,  and  when  he 
was  picked  up  was  found  to  have  fourteen  wounds.  Six  men  working 
at  a  secondary  battery  gun  were  torn  into  such  fragments  that  they 
were  unrecognizable.  A  gun  crew  forward  was  blown  completely  off 
into  the  water,  and  everywhere  the  decks  were  running  with  blood.  As 
soon  as  the  ship  was  beached,  orders  were  given  for  every  man  to  jump 
overboard  and  take  care  of  himself.  It  was  impossible  for  the  men  to 
go  below  and  get  any  clothes,  and  indeed  those  who  had  clothes — includ 
ing  Admiral  Cervera  and  his  son — had  thrown  off  everything  except 
their  undergarments,  so  that  they  might  swim  through  the  surf  more 
easily.  Men  who  were  too  badly  wounded  to  help  themselves  were 
shoved  overboard,  and  then,  in  many  instances,  assisted  to  the  shore 
by  their  comrades  who  were  uninjured  and  in  the  water.  The  ship  was 
burning  fiercely  and  many  of  the  men  who  had  been  at  the  engines  and 
boilers  were  consumed  in  its  hellish  bowels.  About  three  hundred  of 


438  THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 

the  crew,  however,  managed  to  reach  the  shore,  among  them  Admiral 
Cervera  and  his  son,  and  the  wounded  Captain  Concas.  But  of  these 
many  were  wounded  most  grievously,  and  died  while  waiting  for  Ameri 
can  relief. 

THE  OQUENDO  ALSO  HAS  A  TERRIBLE  BAPTISM  OF  FIRE 

But  if  the  Maria  Teresa  had  had  a  terrible  baptism  of  fire  the 
Oquendo  had  fared  still  worse.  She  was  the  third  ship  out,  and  by  the 
time  she  was  ready  to  turn  from  the  entrance  she  was  in  close  combat 
with  the  Indiana,  the  Iowa,  the  Oregon,  and  the  Texas,  with  the  Brook 
lyn  occasionally  giving  her  a  single  shot.  Her  immense  steel  plates 
were  bulging  apart  before  she  had  turned  ashore ;  there  were  gaping 
holes  in  her  sides;  her  bridge  was  partially  shot  away,  and  half  of  her 
crew,  probably  two  hundred  and  fifty,  were  killed  and  wounded.  On 
her,  too,  the  explosive  shells  had  done  their  deadly  work.  Her  fire 
mains  were  cut ;  her  forward  eleven-inch  turret  was  out  of  action,  with 
all  its  men  dead  inside,  and  she  was  devoid  of  officers.  In  the  upper 
works  the  American  rapid-fire  guns  had  created  horrible  mortality. 
Before  the  Oquendo  had  been  out  fifteen  minutes  every  man  in  her 
superstructure  was  dead  or  wounded,  or,  impelled  by  excitement  and 
fear,  was  plunging  overboard.  Captain  Larzaza  was  killed  in  the  first 
seven  minutes  of  action ;  his  executive  officer  Lola  had  hardly  shouted 
his  second  order  before  a  shell  cut  him  in  two.  The  third  officer  Matos 
took  charge,  and  an  explosion  of  their  own  ammunition  by  the  concus 
sion  of  one  of  our  big  shells,  blew  him  in  pieces.  Successively,  within 
a  period  of  ten  minutes,  the  next  three  officers  in  rank  took  charge  of 
the  ship,  but  as  fast  as  they  took  their  positions  on  the  bridge,  the  rapid- 
fire  guns  from  the  American  fleet  mowed  them  down.  Within  thirty 
minutes  the  seven  principal  officers  had  been  killed,  and  over  one 
hundred  and  thirty  dead  bodies  strewed  the  deck  and  superstructure,  in 


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THE  SPANISH  SHIPS  441 

addition  to  the  wounded  who  lay  mutilated  and  moaning  at  the  breech 
of  almost  every  gun.  The  forward  eleven-inch  turret  had  only  fired 
three  shots  in  the  action,  and  just  before  the  captain  was  shot  down  on 
the  bridge,  he  had  sent  a  messenger  to  inquire  the  reason  for  the  gun's 
silence.  In  the  turret  lay  the  bodies  of  six  dead  men,  with  barely  a 
mark  on  them  to  show  how  they  had  been  killed,  while  up  in  the  little 
conning  tower  or  hood  from  which  the  gun  was  sighted,  was  a  headless 
officer.  His  head  was  not  in  the  turret.  It  had  been  cut  off  and  had 
rolled  out  through  the  opening  and  onto  the  deck,  by  a  most  peculiar 
accident.  An  eight-inch  shell  had  struck  the  turret  at  the  point  where 
the  gun  projects.  It  had  been  fired  at  a  long  distance,  presumably  from 
the  Brooklyn,  and  was  lacking  in  sufficient  force  to  penetrate  the  ten 
inches  of  steel.  It  had  exploded,  however,  the  concussion  killing  all 
the  gunners  inside,  and  the  fire  from  the  explosion  entering  the  turret. 
The  men  had  started  to  load  the  gun  and  the  huge  mass  of  three 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  powder,  which  is  consumed  in  firing  an 
eleven-inch  gun  once,  was  just  about  to  be  placed  in  the  breech.  The 
powder  ignited  and  blazed  up,  creating  a  great  amount  of  gas.  With  a 
rush,  this  gas  forced  its  way  up  into  the  opening  of  the  little  tower 
where  the  officer  was  sitting,  pinning  him  to  the  side,  and  tearing  off  his 
head  as  it  rushed  through  the  orifice  into  the  outer  air. 

TERRIBLE  SLAUGHTER  ON  THE  OQUENDO 

When  the  ship  finally  ran  ashore,  so  badly  had  the  great  shells  cut 
up  her  hull,  that  she  almost  broke  in  two.  The  fire  was  raging  so  fiercely 
upon  her  that  the  men  did  as  had  those  upon  the  Maria  Teresa,  jumped 
overboard.  A  great  many  of  them  reached  the  shore;  some  of  them 
were  dashed  to  pieces  upon  the  coral  reefs,  and  a  number  of  others,  who 
presumably  could  not  swim,  hung  by  chains  in  the  water  near  the 
Oquendo's  head,  almost  dead  from  heat  and  fear,  until  rescued  by  Ameri 
can  ships. 


442  THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 

In  the  meantime,  the  Gloucester,  which  had  sunk  one  torpedo  boat 
and  sent  the  other  ashore,  immediately  converted  herself  from  a  fighting 
ship  into  a  life-saving  vessel,  and  at  once  began  the  rescuing  of  such  of 
the  torpedo  boats'  crews  as  were  still  alive  when  they  surrendered. 
From  the  torpedo  boat  which  ran  ashore,  some  few  officers  and  men 
managed  to  escape  and  join  the  Spanish  forces  in  Santiago  city.  In  all, 
about  twenty  or  twenty-five  men  succeeded  in  escaping  this  way,  and 
these  were  the  only  ones  of  the  entire  number  of  nearly  two  thousand 
in  the  fight  that  day,  who  managed  to  get  away. 

VISCAYA  RIDDLED  BY  SHELLS  FROM  BROOKLYN  AND  OREGON 

The  Viscaya,  which  made  a  longer  fight  than  her  two  sister  ships 
and  ran  about  twenty  miles  from  the  entrance,  while  horribly  cut  up  by 
the  shells  of  the  Oregon  and  Brooklyn,  would  have  remained  fighting 
for  some  time  had  not  a  five-inch  shell  from  the  Brooklyn  penetrated 
her  bow,  exploding  a  torpedo  in  her  tubes,  and  blowing  out  the  whole 
starboard  side  of  the  unprotected  compartment  forward.  This  was  so 
near  to  the  sea  line  that  she  took  water  in,  the  result  being  that  she 
listed  heavily  to  starboard,  and  abandoning  her  intention  of  ramming  the 
Brooklyn,  ran  for  the  shore.  Captain  Eulate  was  wounded,  but  he  still 
managed  to  retain  command,  and  only  a  few  minutes  before,  at  the 
point  of  his  pistol,  had  driven  a  number  of  his  engineers  and  firemen,  who 
attempted  to  leave  their  positions,  back  to  their  quarters  below.  In  fact, 
it  is  related,  although  I  have  no  proof  of  the  absolute  truth  of  the  state 
ment,  that  a  young  officer,  who  attempted  to  haul  down  the  flag,  think 
ing  it  was  time  to  surrender,  was  shot  dead  in  his  tracks  by  this  same 
Eulate,  and  no  further  attempt  was  made  to  lower  the  colors.  The 
mortality  on  this  ship  was  not  so  great  as  on  the  Oquendo,  although 
greater  than  on  the  Maria  Teresa.  But  even  here  it  was  horrible  to 
behold.  Several  of  the  guns  of  her  secondary  battery  were  dismounted 


THE  SPANISH  SHIPS  443 

and  lay  overturned  among  a  mass  of  shriveling  human  flesh.  Fire  was 
consuming  the  decks,  and  those  who  were  badly  wounded  were  shriek 
ing  for  assistance  to  get  away  from  its  terrible  grasp.  Many  crawled 
to  the  side  and  rolled  overboard,  and  as  we  fought  her  we  saw  men 
jumping  or  tumbling  down  her  sides.  When  she  turned  in  to  shore,  the 
Iowa,  which  was  about  four  miles  astern  of  her,  quickly  followed  her  up, 
and  lucky  for  the  Spaniard's  people  she  did,  for  the  Cuban  insurgents 
ashore  began  to  open  fire  immediately  upon  the  poor  wretches,  who, 
having  escaped  death  by  shot  and  shell,  or  drowning  or  mutilation  by 
the  surf,  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore  safely.  The  Iowa 
promptly  sent  a  boat  in,  warning  the  Cubans  to  stop,  under  penalty  of 
being  fired  upon  themselves  by  the  rapid-fire  guns  of  the  American 
ship.  The  Iowa  remained  here  instead  of  continuing  in  the  chase,  and 
with  the  aid  of  the  Hist  and  the  Ericsson  succeeded  in  rescuing  over 
two  hundred  of  the  Viscaya's  crew.  The  Iowa  then  left  and  proceeded 
to  the  eastward,  taking  on  board  as  she  went  down  toward  Santiago, 
Admiral  Cervera  and  his  son.  It  is  stated  that  when  Captain  Eulate 
was  brought  aboard  the  Iowa,  he  offered  his  sword  in  surrender  to 
Captain  Evans,  but  that  that  officer  gallantly  refused  to  receive  it, 
merely  taking  Eulate's  parole. 

MUTINY  ON  COLON  QUELLED  BY  OFFICERS 

The  Colon,  which  had  run  to  the  west  and  which  managed  to  go  a 
distance  of  forty-five  miles  before  she  was  beached,  suffered  very  little 
loss  of  life,  in  fact  none  from  our  gunnery,  and  the  ship  itself  was  but 
little  damaged,  a  couple  of  five-inch  shells  from  the  Brooklyn  having 
penetrated  her  superstructure.  Her  officers,  however,  had  had  severe 
fighting  with  their  own  men.  They  had  given  them  an  extra  comple 
ment  of  liquor  before  they  had  left  the  harbor,  and  had  divided  up  the 
money  from  the  paymaster's  safe,  the  result  being  that  after  the  ship 


444  THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 

had  once  gotten  out  of  the  harbor,  a  number  of  the  men  refused  to 
work  at  the  fires  and  boilers.  Several  of  the  officers  quelled  the 
mutiny  by  shooting  some  of  the  men  dead,  and  when  the  ship 
surrendered  six  bodies  were  found  lying  on  the  deck  near  the  super 
structure,  with  pistol  bullet  holes  in  them.  That  the  officers  on  the 
Colon  expected  eventually  to  be  captured  after  witnessing  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  remainder  of  their  fleet  is  evidenced  from  the  fact  that  they 
had  their  trunks  packed  ready  to  be  taken  off,  and  that  in  the  boat  load 
of  officers  which  we  brought  over  to  the  Brooklyn,  one  officer  had 
strapped  together  all  of  the  Colon's  log  books.  I  had  the  honor  of 
taking  these  away  from  him  and  turning  them  over  to  Admiral  Schley. 

GREAT  DAMAGE  DONE  BY  THE  AMERICAN  FIRE 

Just  exactly,  by  professional  account,  what  great  damage  was  done 
by  the  American  fire  is  best  evidenced  by  the  report  of  a  Board  of 
Examination  appointed  by  Rear- Admiral  Sampson.  This  Board's  report 
showed  that  the  number  of  big  hits — that  is,  of  four-inch  calibre  and 
upward — which  were  to  be  seen  after  the  fire  and  explosion  on  the  ships, 
was  forty.  Of  these  forty,  twenty  were  made  by  five-inch  shells,  and 
the  Brooklyn  was  the  only  ship  in  the  squadron  carrying  five-inch  guns. 
Every  one  of  the  Spanish  ships  showed  hits  from  these  five-inch  project 
iles.  Eight  hits  were  made  by  the  four-inch  guns  of  the  Iowa,  the  only 
ship  carrying  four-inch  guns.  This,  of  course,  indicates  that  the  Brook 
lyn  made  as  many  large  hits  on  the  Spanish  ships  as  all  the  other  ships 
combined.  Ten  hits  were  made  by  eight-inch  guns  carried  by  the 
Brooklyn,  Iowa,  Oregon,  and  Indiana.  Two  hits  were  made  by  twelve- 
inch  projectiles  fired  only  by  the  Texas  and  the  Iowa,  while  of  course  it 
is  generally  conceded  that  the  Oregon  scared  the  Colon  ashore  by  firing 
a  thirteen-inch  shell  over  her. 

The  record  of  the  damages  to  these  ships  is  a  world  record,  and  is 


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THE  SPANISH  SHIPS  447 

fraught  with  great  interest.  The  fight  started  at  a  range  of  6,000  yards, 
or  about  three  miles,  while  at  2,000  or  2,500  yards  two  torpedo  boats 
and  two  cruisers  were  smashed.  The  closest  fighting  was  done  at 
1,100  and  1,000  yards,  by  the  Brooklyn  and  Viscaya,  with  annihi 
lating  effect  on  the  Spanish  ship.  But  two  projectiles  larger  than  eight- 
inch  struck  a  vessel,  both  of  these  either  twelve  or  thirteen-inch,  being 
put  through  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa.  The  eight-inch,  six-inch,  five-inch 
and  six-pounders  did  the  bulk  of  the  work,  and  were  frightfully  destruc 
tive. 

Some  idea  of  the  effect  can  be  obtained  from  a  brief  summary  of 
the  injuries  to  each  ship  as  found  by  the  Examining  Board.  The  Board 
had  upon  it  such  capable  men  as  Executive-Officer  Rogers,  of  the  Iowa; 
Executive-Officer  Mason,  of  the  Brooklyn,  an  expert  on  the  effect  of 
shells  on  armor;  Lieutenant  Haessler,  of  the  Texas,  who  had  made  some 
splendid  improvements  in  gun  firing  on  that  ship,  and  Assistant  Naval- 
Constructor  Hobson,  of  Merrimac  fame,  who  had  a  reputation  for 
knowledge  of  ship  construction.  Briefly,  these  officers  found : — 

THE  CRISTOBAL  COLON  RECEIVED  BUT  LITTLE  DAMAGE 

Cristobal  Colon,  battleship,  first-class,  with  six  inches  of  steel  for 
protection  not  only  on  the  water  line  but  around  the  six-inch  guns.  This 
ship  was  hit  with  large  projectiles  but  six  times,  as  she  kept  out  of  range 
nearly  the  whole  time,  passing  behind  the  other  ships  for  protection  and 
finally  making  a  run  for  it.  The  hits  were  made  by  the  Brooklyn  and 
Oregon.  One  eight-inch  shell  went  into  the  port  side  of  the  ward  room, 
and  left  on  the  starboard  side  without  exploding,  but  cleaned  out  every 
thing  in  the  room.  A  five-inch  shell  hit  just  above  the  armor  belt,  and 
a  five-inch  shell  struck  her  on  the  bow.  None  of  the  injuries  was  suffi 
cient  to  put  her  out  of  action,  and  they  were  not  as  serious  as  those 
received  by  the  Brooklyn,  at  one  time  her  sole  antagonist.  The  state- 


448  THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 

ment  that  the  Brooklyn  was  overhauling  her,  and  that  the  Oregon's 
terrific  thirteen-inch  guns  were  shooting  nearer  and  nearer,  and  that 
escape  was  impossible,  seems  to  explain  her  surrender. 

THE  VISCAYA  TERRIBLY  BATTERED  BY  THE  AMERICANS 

The  Viscaya,  armored  cruiser  of  same  class  as  battleships  Texas 
and  Maine,  two  eleven  and  one-half  inch  guns  and  ten  five  and  one-half 
inch  guns,  with  protections  ten  and  twelve  inches  thick,  double  and 
treble  that  of  the  Brooklyn.  This  ship  was  the  special  prey  of  the 
Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon,  although  the  Iowa,  after  her  destructive  work 
on  the  Oquendo  and  Teresa,  aided  a  little  at  long  range.  The  Viscaya, 
exclusive  of  one-pounders  and  rapid-fire  hits,  which  swept  her  deck,  was 
hit  with  large  projectiles  fourteen  times  and  six-pounders  eleven  times. 
The  eight-inch  guns  of  the  Brooklyn  and  Oregon,  and  five-inch  on  the 
Brooklyn,  tore  her  structure  above  the  armor  belt  almost  into  shreds, 
while  the  six-pounders  and  one-pounders  made  it  too  warm  for  the  men 
to  stand  at  the  guns.  The  Texas  got  in  a  few  six-inch  shots,  and  the 
Iowa  landed  a  couple  of  four-inch  shells.  No  thirteen  or  twelve-inch 
shells  struck  her. 

THE  SPANISH  FLAGSHIP  BADLY  PUNISHED 

The  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  the  flagship,  of  the  same  build  as  the 
Viscaya,  was  badly  punished,  and  was  the  only  one  of  the  four  ships  hit 
by  twelve  or  thirteen-inch  projectiles.  Two  of  that  size  went  into  her, 
and  the  position  of  one  would  tend  to  demonstrate  that  it  was  fired  by 
the  Texas,  the  other  being  from  the  Indiana,  Oregon  or  Iowa.  An  eight- 
inch  shell,  undoubtedly  from  the  Brooklyn,  because  she  was  the  only 
ship  in  line  with  the  Maria  Teresa's  head  as  she  turned  west,  entered 
just  forward  of  the  beam  on  the  port  side,  and  exploding  inside,  cleaned 
out  the  deck' with  four  gun  crews.  This  is  the  shot  that  Cervera  said 


THE  SPANISPI  SHIPS  449 

came  from  the  Brooklyn  and  set  fire  to  the  ship.  The  Teresa's  great 
difficulty  and  one  that  compelled  her  hurried  surrender  was  that  all  her 
fire  mains  were  cut  and  she  was  unable  to  extinguish  the  fires  that  were 
driving  her  men  from  the  guns. 

OQUENDO  RECEIVED  THE  WORST  BAPTISM  OF  FIRE 

The  Almirante  Oquendo,  armored  cruiser,  same  class  as  the 
Viscaya  and  the  Teresa,  went  through  the  most  terrible  baptism  of  fire 
of  any  of  the  ships  except  the  torpedo  boats.  Her  upper  works  were 
one  ragged  mass  of  cut-up  steel,  and  her  decks  were  covered  with  dead 
and  dying.  She  was  hit  on  the  port  side  four  times  by  eight-inch  shells, 
three  times  by  four-inch  shells,  twice  by  six-inch,  and  forty-two  times  by 
six-pounders.  The  wounds  made  by  one-pounders  show  that  she  met 
the  fire  of  the  entire  fleet. 

One  of  the  findings  of  the  Board  of  Survey  was  that  an  eight- inch 
shell  had  struck  the  forward  turret  just  where  the  gun  opening  was,  and 
that  every  man  in  the  turret  was  killed,  the  officer  standing  in  the  firing 
hood  being  still  in  that  position.  Another  fact  learned  was  that  the 
torpedoes  in  some  of  the  ships  were  already  loaded  in  the  tubes  and 
prepared  to  fire. 

SECONDARY  BATTERY  OF  BROOKLYN  DID  TERRIBLE  DAMAGE 

"The  secondary  battery  fire  of  the  Brooklyn  was  really  terrible.  It 
drove  my  men  from  their  guns,  and  when  you  were  at  close  range  did 
frightful  work,"  said  Captain  Eulate,  two  days  after  Schley's  defeat  of 
the  Spanish  squadron;  and  a  rescued  officer  of  the  Oquendo  said  that 
nearly  one-half  of  the  terrible  damage  to  that  ship  was  done  by  our  one 
and  six-pounders,  which  constitute  the  secondary  battery. 

The  injuries,  so  far  as  the  American  fleet  was  concerned,  received 
during  the  fight  were  mainly  confined  to  the  Brooklyn.  It  was  on  this 


450  THE  SPANISH  SHIPS 

ship  that  one  man  was  killed  and  several  wounded,  and  the  ship  itself 
was  hit  twenty-six  times  directly  by  projectiles.  The  Texas  was  struck 
three  times  by  small  shells,  doing  no  particular  damage.  The  Indiana 
was  struck  twice  by  six-pounders  and  not  hurt,  while  the  Iowa  was 
struck  by  two  large  projectiles  and  three  of  smaller  calibre. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
VICTOR  AND  VANSgJISHED 

WHEN,  following  the  chase  of  the  Austrian  cruiser,  Commodore 
Schley  returned  with  the  Brooklyn  to  Santiago  entrance,  the 
night  of  July  3d,  it  was  midnight.     Passing  the  Indiana  as  we  moved 
down  to  our  position,  there  came  a  hail  through  the  megaphone : 

THE  BROOKLYN  GIVES  THE  NEWS  OF  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  COLON 

"Brooklyn,  there,  what's  become  of  the  Cristobal  Colon?"  There 
went  back  the  answer:  "She's  ashore;  forty  miles  to  the  west."  And 
from  the  deck  of  the  big  battleship  there  arose  a  mighty  cheer. 

Then  the  Massachusetts,  which  had  been  cheated  out  of  her  share 
in  the  battle  by  being  sent  to  coal  that  morning,  asked  the  same  ques 
tion,  and  on  that  ship  also  the  sailors  who  had  not  taken  part  in  the  fight 
and  who  were  waiting  up  for  news,  joined  in  the  enthusiastic  and  noisy 
welcome. 

CERVERA  AND  OFFICERS  PRISONERS  ON  BOARD  THE  IOWA 

As  we  neared  the  Iowa  there  came  a  similar  hail,  which  we 
answered  in  the  same  manner.  Much  to  our  surprise,  there  was  not  a 
cheer.  We  were  a  little  puzzled  for  a  few  minutes,  when  suddenly 
there  came  a  megaphone  call  from  an  officer  on  the  Iowa,  saying: 
"Admiral  Cervera  is  aboard  this  ship,"  and  then  we  understood  that  the 
chivalry  of  officers  and  men  aboard  her  had  prompted  them  to  keep 

453 


454  VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED 

silence.  Commodore  Schley,  as  soon  as  possible,  took  a  boat,  and  in 
the  absence  of  Admiral  Sampson,  went  over  to  the  Iowa.  When  he 
arrived  there  he  found  Admiral  Cervera  chatting  with  Captain  Eulate, 
who  was  also  a  prisoner  aboard.  The  vanquished  Admiral  was  dressed 
in  a  suit  of  clothes  which  had  been  given  him  on  board  the  Gloucester, 
and  which  consisted  of  a  pair  of  blue  trousers,  a  black  alpaca  coat,  a 
civilian  shirt  and  a  white  straw  hat.  He  had  been  very  busy  all  the 
afternoon  and  evening  going  about  among  the  wounded  asking  their 
condition  and  endeavoring  to  cheer  them  up,  at  the  same  time  thanking 
them  for  the  gallant  assistance  they  had  rendered  Spain  that  day.  He 
had  also  assisted  in  the  burial  of  five  or  six  who  had  died  since  being 

brought  aboard. 

SCHLEY  AND  CERVERA  MEET 

As  Commodore  Schley  entered  the  cabin  of  the  Iowa  he  stepped 
forward  briskly  toward  Cervera,  and  the  Spanish  Admiral  rose  from  his 
chair  to  receive  him.  The  two  men  grasped  hands,  and  it  is  hard  to  say 
which  of  the  two  was  the  more  affected.  But,  before  Schley  could  speak 
further  than  to  give  a  salutation  of  "How  do  you  do,  Admiral,"  the 
defeated  officer  said:  "If  we  could  have  passed  the  Brooklyn  I  believe 
we  could  have  gotten  away.  My  orders  to  concentrate  and  fire  on  the 
Brooklyn  were  carried  out,  but  your  ship  had  a  charmed  life,  sir.  My 
career  is  ended.  I  shall  go  back  to  Spain  in  disgrace." 

This  was  said  by  Admiral  Cervera  in  French,  the  international 
naval  language;  but  Schley,  putting  his  hand  upon  Cervera's  shoulder, 
said  in  the  purest  Castilian:  "No,  Admiral,  you  are  a  brave  man.  Your 
country  will  honor  you  as  it  should." 

ADMIRAL  CERVERA  IN  TEARS 

I  don't  think  it  was  the  sentiment  expressed  as  much  as  it  was  the 
surprise  at  the  pure  Spanish  spoken,  but  Cervera's  eyes  filled  with  tears 


VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED  455 

for  a  moment,  and  then  the  two  men  went  on  talking  in  Spanish,  the 
lighting  up  of  their  faces  showing  they  were  both  forgetting  the  terrible 
strain  of  the  day,  the  one  his  defeat  and  the  other  his  victory,  in  their 
exchange  of  personal  compliments. 

CERVERA  REPORTS  LOSS  OF  FLEET 

Before  Commodore  Schley  left  the  Iowa  to  go  back  on  board  the 
Brooklyn,  Admiral  Cervera  asked  permission  to  send  a  dispatch  to  his 
government  announcing  his  defeat.  Here  is  the  telegram  which  he 
wrote  and  which  Commodore  Schley  had  forwarded  for  him : 

PLATA  DEL  ESTE  (SANTIAGO). 

I  went  out  with  the  ships  at  9:30  and  sustained  a  very  hot  battle 
with  the  enemy.  The  defense  was  brilliant,  but  it  was  impossible  to 
fight  against  the  hostile  forces,  which  were  three  times  as  large  as  ours. 
The  Maria  Teresa,  Oquendo,  and  Viscaya,  all  with  fire  on  board,  ran 
ashore  and  were  then  blown  up.  The  destroyers  Pluton  and  Furor 
were  sunk  by  shots  from  the  hostile  guns.  The  Colon,  the  Americans 
say,  surrendered  after  running  aground.  I  estimate  our  losses  at  600 
killed  and  wounded.  The  rest  of  the  crews  have  been  taken  prisoners. 
Villaamil  was  killed  in  the  battle;  I  believe  also  Lazaga.  Among  the 
wounded  are  Concas  and  Eulate.  The  Americans  have  allowed  the 
latter  to  retain  his  sword  because  of  his  brilliant  conduct.  I  must  state 
that  the  American  sailors  are  treating  us  with  all  possible  consideration. 

CERVERA. 

The  next  day,  July  4th,  was  spent  very  quietly  by  the  fleet  in  front 
of  the  harbor,  except  that  at  noon  the  national  salute  was  fired,  to  which 
foreign  vessels  in  the  vicinity  responded,  with  the  exception  of  a  German 
who  paid  no  attention  to  us.  The  Brooklyn  proceeded  to  Guantanamo, 
and  arriving  at  that  bay  we  obtained  the  services  of  the  chaplain  of  the 
Texas  and  buried  young  Ellis.  He  was  wrapped  in  his  country's  flag 
and  placed  in  a  very  respectable  looking  casket  manufactured  aboard 
the  Brooklyn.  Followed  by  a  squad  of  marines  and  a  detail  of  sailors, 
the  body  was  taken  ashore.  Nearly  all  the  officers  of  the  Brooklyn  who 


456  VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED 

could  be  spared  from  duty,  and  several  officers  from  other  ships  lying  in 
the  harbor,  reverently  attended  the  burial  of  the  only  man  who  had  been 
killed  on  the  American  side  in  this  wonderful  contest.  A  grave  was  dug 
near  where  the  marines  were  buried  who  had  been  killed  early  in  June 
when  the  first  landing  was  made  in  Cuba,  and  here  on  the  nation's  birth 
day  Ellis  was  buried,  the  body  there  to  remain  until  such  time  as  it 
could  be  taken  to  his  native  heath. 

SCHLEY  VISITS  CERVERA 

On  the  following  day  Commodore  Schley  paid  a  lengthy  visit  to 
Admiral  Cervera  on  board  the  St.  Louis,  which  was  then  preparing  to 
take  the  Spanish  captives  up  to  Annapolis  and  Portsmouth.  For  over 
an  hour  these  two  gray-headed  men,  the  victor  and  the  vanquished,  sat 
side  by  side  and  chatted  of  sunny  Spain,  of  America,  which  Cervera  had 
seen  very  little  of,  of  their  various  cruises  and  their  varied  experiences. 

CAPTAIN  EULATE  REFUSED  TO  GIVE  PAROLE 

Captain  Eulate  had  by  this  time  begun  to  show  a  great  deal  of  feeling 
in  the  matter  and  had  practically  refused  to  give  any  parole.  A  marine 
guard  was  therefore  ordered  to  watch  him  and  see  that  he  made  no 
attempt  to  escape.  Lieutenant  of  Marines  Thomas  S.  Borden,  of  the 
Brooklyn,  was  in  charge  of  this  detail  and  took  such  good  care  of  the 
wounded  officer  that  he  at  last  consented  to  give  a  brief  description  of 
his  manoeuvres.  Captain  Eulate  said  to  Mr.  Borden: 

"The  entire  squadron  was  ordered  to  devote  the  fire  of  the  guns  to 
the  cruiser  Brooklyn,  because  it  was  believed  that  she  was  the  only  ship 
in  the  American  squadron  that  could  overtake  us. 

"When  we  got  out  of  the  harbor  my  ship  was  second  in  line,  and  I 
saw  immediately  that  the  flagship  Maria  Teresa  was  getting  a  terrible 
baptism  of  fire.  It  was  frightful.  The  Texas  and  the  Brooklyn  were 


VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED  459 

riddling  her,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  I  saw  she  was  on  fire.  The  Iowa 
and  Oregon  were  firing  on  the  Oquendo,  but  as  yet  I  had  not  been  badly 
hit. 

"The  Brooklyn  was  a  half  mile  closer  to  us  than  any  other  ship, 
and  I  determined  to  try  and  ram  her  so  that  the  Colon  and  Oquendo 
could  get  away,  and  I  started  for  her.  She  was  a  good  mark  with  her 
big  broadsides,  and  as  I  started  I  thought  surely  I  would  get  her,  but  she 
had  evidently  seen  us  and  very  quickly  turned  about  and,  making  a  short 
circle,  came  at  our  port  side  so  that  I  thought  she  would  ram  us.  I 
moved  in  toward  the  shore  so  that  I  could  avoid  her,  and  then  I  saw  that 
the  Oquendo  had  gone  ashore  also,  her  steam  pipes  evidently  having  been 
severed  by  a  shell. 

THE  BROOKLYN  DROVE  THE  VISCAYA  ASHORE 

"The  manoeuvre  of  the  Brooklyn  was  beautiful.  We  opened  a  rapid 
fire  at  her  with  all  our  big  guns,  but  she  returned  it  with  terrible  effect. 
The  Oregon  also  hit  us  several  times,  but  the  Brooklyn's  broadsides, 
crashing  into  our  superstructure,  simply  terrorized  the  men.  We  worked 
all  our  guns  at  her  at  one  time,  and  I  don't  see  how  she  escaped  us.  She 
simply  drove  us  in  to  the  shore,  at  one  time  fighting  us  at  1,100  yards. 
One  shell  went  along  the  entire  gun  deck,  killing  half  the  men  on  it  and 
wounding  nearly  all  the  rest. 

"A  shell  from  the  Oregon  hit  the  superstructure,  and  it  was  then 
that,  wounded  and  knowing  we  could  not  get  away,  I  struck  the  flag  and 
started  for  the  beach.  We  were  on  fire  badly,  and  when  those  men  who 
were  alive  started  to  swim  for  shore  the  Cubans  on  shore  shot  at  us  until 
the  American  ships  arrived  and  stopped  them. 

THE  BROOKLYN  PREVENTED  CERVERA'S  ESCAPE 

"The  Brooklyn  had  prevented  me  from  getting  away,  for  I  could 
have  beaten  the  Oregon  out,  as  I  had  a  two-mile  lead  of  her.  My  orders 


460  VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED 

were  to  try  and  sink  the  Brooklyn,  and  I  tried  to  carry  them  out.  I  did 
not  think  that  her  battery  could  be  so  terrible  as  it  was." 

Admiral  Cervera  himself  prepared  a  summary  of  the  battle,  which 
was  forwarded  to  Spain  and  from  which  translations  have  been  made. 
The  report  is  brief  and  lacking  in  detail,  but  it  is  interesting  as  showing 
the  attention  to  some  minor  incidents  which  this  brave  officer  gave  under 
such  a  terrible  destroying  fire.  He  says: 

"In  obedience  to  your  orders,  in  the  face  of  that  which  would  have 
happened,  and  of  which  you  were  informed,  I  left  the  bay  of  Santiago 
for  sea  on  the  3d  day  of  July.  The  order  for  sailing  was  established  as 
follows :  In  the  first  place  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  sailed  to  sea,  followed 
subsequently  by  the  Viscaya,  Colon,  and  Oquendo,  and  finally  the 
destroyers,  all  having  fires  spread  and  disposed  for  the  highest  speed. 
The  Maria  Teresa  should  undertake  the  combat,  leading  the  other  vessels 
to  the  westward,  the  destroyers  keeping  themselves  out  of  action,  all 
endeavoring  to  escape  if  combat  was  impossible.  The  Maria  Teresa 
commenced  a  sustained  fire  against  two  vessels,  one  of  the  Indiana  type, 
steering  toward  the  Brooklyn,  which  was  at  the  right  of  the  entrance  of 
the  bay,  and  which  was  the  vessel  most  dreaded  on  account  of  her  speed. 
The  rest  of  our  ships  attacked  the  other  hostile  vessels. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  MARIA  TERESA 

"The  departure  of  our  squadron  having  been  effected,"  continues 
the  Admiral,  "  we  steered  the  prearranged  course  in  view  of  the  disad 
vantages  that  existed  for  us,  which  became  evident  as  soon  as  the  exit 
had  been  accomplished.  The  enemy's  fire  produced  terrible  damages 
on  board  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  destroying  the  elements  of  defense 
—among  others  the  net  for  protection  against  fire.  In  this  critical 
moment  the  captain  of  the  ship,  Senor  Concas,  fell  wounded,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  withdraw  him,  I  taking  command  of  the  vessel,  because  it 


VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED  461 

was  impossible  to  find  the  second  commandant  of  the  Maria  Teresa. 
Immediately  afterward  they  reported  to  me  that  my  cabin  was  burning 
in  consequence  of  an  explosion.  The  fire  soon  became  very  great  and 
ignited  other  parts  of  the  ship.  I  gave  orders  to  my  aid  to  flood  the 
after  magazines,  but  it  was  impossible.  Dense  clouds  of  smoke  impeded 
walking  in  the  passages  and  practicing  any  kind  of  operations.  In  this 
situation  I  could  only  think  of  beaching  the  ship,  and  did  so,  running 
aground  on  Punta  Cabra.  The  contest  was  impossible  on  our  side, 
and  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  done  but  to  save  as  much  as  possible. 
I  thought  to  lower  the  flag  but  that  was  not  possible  on  account  of  the 
fire,  which  prevented  all  operations.  In  these  anxious  moments  two 
boats  came  to  the  aid  of  the  Maria  Teresa,  into  which  a  number  of  us 
jumped.  Those  that  were  not  dying  were  saved  with  nothing. 

"The  Teresa  lowered  a  small  boat,  which  sank  before  it  could  be 
of  any  service.  Subsequently  they  succeeded  in  getting  down  a  steam 
launch,  but  this  also  sank  after  making  one  voyage  to  the  beach.  I 
succeeded  in  saving  myself  with  nothing,  two  sailors  helping  me,  one 
named  Andres  Sequeros  and  the  officer,  D.  Angel  Cervera,  all  of  us 
arriving  on  board  the  American  ship  Gloucester  naked. 

"At  a  short  distance  to  the  westward  was  the  Oquendo  in  flames, 
but  maintaining  a  fire  against  the  enemy's  enormously  superior  forces. 

THE  GLOUCESTER  CARRIED  MANY  SPANISH  PRISONERS 

"On  board  the  Gloucester  there  were  some  200  Spanish  sailors, 
to  whom  the  American  officers  and  privates  gave  every  attention.  Most 
of  our  sailors  arrived  on  board  naked.  In  view  of  the  great  number  of 
prisoners  on  board  of  said  vessel,  it  was  decided  to  transfer  some  of 
them,  which  they  did,  taking  me  and  others  to  the  Iowa.  The  insur 
gents  offered  their  services,  but  I  thanked  them  without  accepting  their 
offer,  though  I  indicated  that  it  would  be  convenient  if  they  would  advise 


462  VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED 

the  doctors  to  assist  the  wounded  that  might  be  found  on  the  beach.  In 
this  situation  we  were  proceeding  to  the  westward  when  the  Iowa  was 
detached  from  the  American  squadron. 

COMMODORE  SCHLEY  DOES  CERVERA  A  GREAT  SERVICE 

"The  captains  of  the  destroyers  also  gave  me  an  account  of  that 
which  occurred  on  their  vessels.  At  our  arrival  on  board  the  Iowa  I 
saw  the  captain  of  the  Viscaya,  Senor  Eulate,  who  wore  his  sword  and 
who  gave  me  a  report  of  what  had  occurred  on  his  vessel. 

"From  the  armored  ship  Iowa  we  went  on  board  the  transport 
Paris.  In  this  vessel  I  asked  permission  of  Commodore  Schley  to 
telegraph  you,  communicating  the  telegram  already  known. 

"  From  the  text  of  the  report  I  have  only  to  rectify  one  error.  The 
Pluton  was  not  sunk,  but  was  beached. 

"It  remains  to  communicate  to  you  that  our  enemies  behaved 
toward  us  with  great  chivalry,  providing  us  with  good  clothes  and  sup 
pressing  almost  entirely  the  usual  hurrahs,  to  prevent  hurting  our  self 
respect,  and  offering  to  us  the  most  anxious  solicitude. 

"I  do  not  know  the  number  and  details  of  the  loss  sustained. 

GRIEF  FOR  LOSS  OF  COMPANIONS 

"Summary — The  3d  of  July  has  been  to  us  a  horrible  disaster,  as 
I  had  foreseen.  The  number  of  the  dead,  nevertheless,  is  less  than 
what  I  feared.  The  country  has  been  defended  with  honor,  and  the 
satisfaction  of  the  duty  done  leaves  our  conscience  tranquil,  with  nothing 
more  than  the  grief  for  the  loss  of  our  companions  and  the  misfortune 
of  our  country." 

A  still  more  interesting  account  of  the  squadron  of  Spain,  because 
it  includes  the  movements  of  the  fleet  inside  the  harbor  up  to  the  time 
that  Admiral  Cervera  decided  to  escape,  was  given  by  Lieutenant- 


o 

p 

II 

K 
o 
fc 


c/ 


VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED  465 

Commander  Centrones,  of  the  Cristobal  Colon,  the  morning  following 
the  fight  while  he  was  aboard  the  converted  yacht  Vixen.  It  was 
dictated  in  French  to  Chief-Engineer  Stanford  E.  Moses,  of  the  Vixen, 
and  by  him  translated  exclusively  for  my  benefit.  Here  is  the  story: 

SPANISH  FLEET  ARRIVED  AT  SANTIAGO  MAY  19th 

"It  is  not  true  that  the  heavy  fire  of  the  American  ships  drove  us 
out.  Besides  the  accident  to  the  Reina  Mercedes  we  had  no  casualties. 
The  dynamite  shells  of  the  Vesuvius  did  no  damage  except  to  terrorize 
the  people.  A  shell  did  not  strike  or  hit  near  the  base  of  the  fort.  We 
arrived  at  Santiago  May  1 9th.  We  did  not  know  that  our  whereabouts 
was  a  secret.  We  made  no  attempt  to  hide  or  to  cover  up  our  plans. 
We  simply  took  easy  stages  to  get  to  Cuba.  It  was  very  hot  in  the 
harbor  and  we  suffered  greatly.  We  made  no  attempt  to  get  out  and 
did  not  use  our  torpedo  boats,  as  all  our  machinery  was  defective  and 
we  were  trying  to  repair  it.  The  frequent  bombardment  by  American 
ships  resulted  in  quite  a  loss  of  life,  but  did  little  other  damage.  The 
batteries  were  not  harmed  to  any  extent.  It  is  not  true  that  we  dis 
mounted  our  ship  guns.  The  Reina  Mercedes'  guns  were  all  on  the 
fort  when  Commodore  Schley  arrived  at  Cienfuegos  and  we  started  to 
get  out.  The  news  had  come  too  late,  as  Schley  had  left  a  couple  of 
his  ships  to  act  as  decoys  before  Cienfuegos  and  in  the  meantime  had 
come  down  here.  On  Sunday  morning,  May  29th,  we  found  Schley 
blocking  our  way  out.  It  was  then  Cervera's  intention  to  come  out  and 
give  battle,  but  General  Linares  and  the  citizens  objected  and  we 
stayed." 

"What  about  the  Hobson  expedition?"  was  asked. 

"Well,  we  were  very  much  surprised  and  at  the  first  alarm  believed 
that  a  torpedo  boat  attack  was  going  on.  The  shore  batteries  opened 
up  and  the  ships  used  their  rapid-fire  guns.  The  dynamos  were  not 

21 


466  VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED 

going,  however,  and  we  had  no  searchlights,  so  that  we  could  not  find 
the  object.  We  did  not  sink  her  with  our  batteries  or  our  mines.  She 
sank  herself  with  her  own  torpedoes  by  blowing  out  her  bottom.  Admiral 
Cervera,  in  making  an  inspection  of  shore  batteries  in  a  steam  launch 
a  little  later,  found  Hobson  swimming  in  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  and 
trying  to  get  out  to  sea.  On  being  picked  up  Hobson  asked  that  his 
men  be  saved.  Hobson  had  on  a  life-preserver  and  was  not  on  a  raft 
as  stated."  Then  Mr.  Centrones  began  the  most  interesting  part  of  his 
narrative,  that  relating  to  the  movements  of  Cervera.  He  said: 
"Admiral  Cervera,  after  the  arrival  of  a  great  American  fleet,  did  not 
believe  it  wise  to  go  out  and  try  to  fight  it.  He  argued  that  the  best 
policy  was  to  hold  the  harbor  against  the  enemy  and  be  ready  by  an 
enfilading  fire  over  the  hilltops  to  drive  back  the  invading  army.  At  first 
people  in  Santiago  believed  this  wise,  but  as  provisions  ran  short  and 
dispatch  after  dispatch  came  from  Madrid  it  was  found  that  public  sen 
timent  demanded  a  naval  battle.  On  Saturday  last  a  conference  was 
called  on  the  flagship  Maria  Teresa  and  all  the  officers  of  the  fleet  were 
present.  Cervera  announced  his  intention  of  going  out  and  it  was 
decided  to  try  it  that  night.  Just  after  dark  and  after  the  ships  had  got 
up  their  anchors  ready  to  start,  beacon  lights  were  seen  on  the  western 
hill  and  it  was  decided  that  the  American  fleet  had  been  warned  of  our 
intention  and  would  close  in  on  us.  In  addition  it  was  found  that  the 
searchlights  flashed  in  the  distance  from  the  American  ships  would  pre 
vent  us  steering  by  the  Merrimac.  It  was  afterward,  too  late,  learned 
that  the  supposed  signal  lights  were  insurgents  burning  up  blockhouses. 

THE  ORDER  OF  COMING  OUT  OF  THE  SPANIARDS 

"The  order  of  coming  out  and  the  tactics  to  be  used  were  these: 
The  Maria  Teresa,  carrying  Admiral  Cervera's  flag,  was  to  go  first,  and 
then  was  to  follow  the  Viscaya,  the  Oquendo,  and  the  Cristobal  Colon. 


VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED  467 

The  torpedo  boat  destroyers  Furor  and  Pluton  were  to  come  out  last  and 
run  inside  of  the  ships,  which  were  to  hug  the  shore  to  the  west.  The 
west  end  of  the  blockading  station  was  chosen  because  it  was  thought 
that  the  Brooklyn,  being  light  in  protection,  would  be  the  easiest  to  sink, 
and  as  she  was  fast  would  be  better  out  of  the  way. " 

Then  one  of  the  other  officers  added:  "We  never  thought  that  the 
Brooklyn's  battery  was  so  terrible  and  that  she  would  attempt  to  fight  all 
of  us.  She  was  a  frightful  sight  when  all  her  guns  were  going. " 

Continuing  the  commander  said:  "On  Sunday  morning  the  look 
outs  reported  that  the  Massachusetts,  New  Orleans,  and  New  York 
were  not  in  sight,  and  it  was  concluded  that  it  was  a  good  time  to  make 
the  start.  We  were  the  last  ship  out  and  we  saw  at  once  that  the  Brook 
lyn,  Texas,  and  Oregon  were  doing  dreadful  work  with  the  two  leading 
ships.  That  is  all  I  know  of  the  battle,  except  that  two  five-inch  shells 
from  the  Brooklyn  went  through  us  and  an  eight- inch  shell  from  the 
Oregon  hit  us  in  the  stern.  We  saw  no  other  ships  than  those  in  the 
last  two  hours,  but  we  had  to  make  such  a  long  detour  in  going  out  that 
we  thought  best  to  surrender.  " 

He  waited  a  moment  and  then  said:  "Brassey's  Naval  Annual 
puts  the  Oregon  down  at  fifteen  knots,  but  she  was  doing  more  than  that 
when  she  chased  us. " 

CAPTAIN  CONCAS  DEPRECATES  METHOD  OF  AMERICANS 

Captain  Concas,  of  the  flagship  Maria  Teresa,  who  was  wounded 
during  the  action,  has  since  written  a  report  of  the  entire  operations  of 
the  Spanish  fleet,  which  follows  very  closely  the  details  presented  by 
the  other  officers.  But  he  expresses  a  very  decided  belief  that  if  the 
methods  employed  with  the  Colon  after  her  surrender  and  which  were 
designed  to  save  her,  had  had  a  little  more  common  sense  injected  into 
them  they  would  have  resulted  in  her  being  added  to  the  United  States 
Navy.  Captain  Concas  says  in  his  report: 


468  VICTOR  AND  VANQUISHED 

"  The  Cristobal  Colon  was  less  fortunate  than  any  of  the  others,  for, 
although  going  at  a  rate  of  speed  of  thirteen  knots,  she  ran  ashore  on 
sand;  and  if  Admiral  Sampson,  with  a  more  seamanlike  spirit,  had 
ordered  the  divers  to  close  the  valves,  he  could  most  certainly  have 
saved  the  cruiser,  but  with  feverish  impatience  he  towed  her  off  with  his 
own  flagship,  the  New  York.  Hardly  had  the  ship  been  floated  when 
she  began  to  list,  at  which  moment,  with  great  dexterity,  he  pushed  the 
Colon  back  again  with  the  ram  of  his  own  ship  toward  the  sandy  shoal, 
but  it  was  too  late,  and,  turning  over,  that  noble  cruiser  went  to  the 
bottom  of  the  sea.  The  few  Americans  and  Spaniards  who  were  still  on 
board  hastily  saved  themselves." 

GREAT  COURAGE  SHOWN  BY  JOSE  CASADO 

We  could  never  complete  this  chapter  if  we  were  to  relate  the 
innumerable  acts  of  courage,  but  I  cannot  do  less  than  to  mention  one 
which  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes.  The  Maria  Teresa  had  already  been 
abandoned,  the  flames  mounting  up  to  the  height  of  the  funnels,  and  pro 
jectiles  exploding  on  all  sides,  and  when  everybody  thought  that  no  living 
soul  was  left  on  the  ship,  suddenly  a  man  appeared  there  calling  for  help. 
Instantly  Jose  Casado  cried,  "I  will  not  let  that  man  die!"  and  threw 
himself  into  the  water.  He  climbed  up  the  blood-stained  sides  of  the 
ship,  seized  the  man,  carried  him  down  on  his  shoulders  and,  swimming 
with  him  to  the  shore,  laid  his  burden  on  the  beach.  It  was  hardly  pos 
sible  to  believe  that  that  shapeless  form  was  a  man  with  fourteen  wounds, 
who  must  have  been  left  aboard  as  dead. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
CLOSING  INCIDENTS 

THE  destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet  naturally  meant  the  inability 
of  Spain  to  provision  its  starving  army  in  Cuba,  and  therefore 
meant  that  the  end  of  the  war  was  in  sight.  The  army  quickly  took  this 
view  of  the  matter,  and  shore  operations  were  conducted  so  rapidly  with 
the  aid  of  the  Navy — so  far  as  General  Shafter  could  induce  Admiral 
Sampson  to  assist  him — that  within  two  weeks  Santiago  had  surrendered 
and  the  Spanish  government  was  beginning  negotiations  for  peace. 

THE  REINA  MERCEDES   IS  RIDDLED  BY   FLEET 

Commodore  Schley  spent  his  time  between  the  harbor  front  of 
Santiago  and  Guantanamo  bay.  The  four  weeks  we  were  there  were 
long  and  tedious,  although  there  were  several  incidents  that  broke  their 
monotony  somewhat.  On  the  night  of  July  4th  the  Massachusetts,  the 
crew  of  which  was  very  much  disgusted  because  of  their  failure  to  be 
in  the  fight,  got  into  a  little  scrap  of  their  own,  from  which  they  emerged 
most  successfully.  It  seems  that  the  Spanish  in  Santiago,  taking 
pattern  by  our  attempt  to  sink  the  Merrimac  and  blockade  their  fleet, 
decided  that  they  would  sink  the  Reina  Mercedes,  an  old  and  dilapidated 
cruiser  which  had  been  their  principal  naval  defense  around  the  southern 
coast  of  Cuba  for  many  years.  Stripping  her  of  all  her  important  arma 
ment  and  the  then,  of  course,  very  scarce  provisions,  an  engineer's 

471 


472  CLOSING  INCIDENTS 

crew  and  her  captain  started  to  sink  her  in  the  narrow  neck  of  the 
channel.  Hardly  had  her  nose  projected  from  behind  the  green  hills 
when  the  Massachusetts  saw  her  and  in  an  instant  the  searchlights 
were  turned  full  upon  her,  for  it  was  dusk.  Then  the  Massachusetts, 
assisted  by  the  Texas,  opened  fire  at  once.  Because  of  the  short  time 
that  they  knew  they  would  have  in  which  to  sink  her,  both  ships  used 
their  great  guns,  the  Massachusetts  her  thirteen-inch  and  the  Texas  her 
twelve-inch.  Marvelous  though  the  shooting  of  the  3d  of  July  had 
been,  this  was  more  so.  The  ships  were  fully  three  miles  away  from 
their  target,  and  yet  the  very  first  shell  fired  from  the  Massachusetts 
went  crashing  clean  through  her.  The  Texas  followed  with  a  twelve- 
inch  and  the  Massachusetts  kept  up  a  fusilade  with  an  eight-inch. 
The  officers  and  crew  of  the  Spanish  ship  were  so  startled  by  the 
promptness  and  precision  of  this  reception,  that  they  immediately 
jumped  overboard,  leaving  the  cruiser  to  take  care  of  itself,  and  she 
performed  just  about  the  same  feat  as  the  Merrimac  before  her  had, 
running  up  on  the  shoal  by  the  side  of  the  harbor  and  not  obstructing 
the  channel  at  all. 

FILING   THE   REPORTS 

An  incident  of  some  importance  was  the  filing  of  the  reports  to  the 
government  by  the  various  officers  of  the  squadrons  and  ships.  Com 
modore  Schley  prepared  his  report  and  on  the  8th  of  July  took  it  to 
Admiral  Sampson.  In  this  report  he  detailed  the  fact  that  he  had  seen 
the  Texas,  the  Iowa,  and  the  Oregon,  and  of  course  his  own  ship,  the 
Brooklyn,  but  "the  dense  smoke  of  the  combat  shut  out  from  my  view 
the  Indiana,  and  the  Gloucester;  but  as  these  vessels  were  closer  to  the 
flagship  no  doubt  their  part  in  the  conflict  was  under  your  immediate 
observation." 

Commodore  Schley  returned  to  the  Brooklyn  again,  and  a  little 
later,  after  Admiral  Sampson  had  evidently  read  the  report,  there  came 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS  473 

over  a  wig-wag  message  for  the  Commodore  to  report  aboard  the  New 
York.  Rear-Admiral  Sampson  handed  him  back  his  report  with  the 
statement  that  he  was  the  Commander-in-Chief,  and  that  Commodore 
Schley's  report  was  slighting  him  in  not  mentioning  that  the  New  York 
was  present  during  the  fight.  Commodore  Schley  said  to  him:  "I  have 
no  objection  to  putting  the  New  York  in.  The  victory  is  big  enough  for 
us  all,  and  I'll  take  it  back  and  write  it  over  again."  And  then  this  big- 
hearted  man  brought  back  his  report  aboard  the  Brooklyn  and  re-wrote 
it,  addressing  it  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  and  using  the  words  "  your 
command"  all  through  it  and  speaking  in  complimentary  terms  of  the 
arrival  of  the  New  York. 

EXAMINING  THE  WRECKS  OF  THE  SPANISH  BOATS 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  8th  we  went  with  the  Brooklyn  to  the  west 
ward  and  examined  each  of  the  wrecks  except  that  of  the  Colon. 
The  fires  aboard  of  them  had  burned  out  and  we  went  aboard  the  Viscaya 
and  the  Maria  Teresa.  They  were  pitiful  sights,  these  huge  ships,  their 
hulls  burned  a  dirty  brown  in  the  intense  heat,  and  their  interiors  a  mass 
of  wreckage.  Commodore  Schley  stood  on  the  deck,  or  what  was  left 
of  the  deck,  of  the  Maria  Teresa  and  shook  his  head  sadly  as  he  said: 
"Oh,  the  pity  of  it." 

THE  SPANISH  FLAGSHIP  MARIA  TERESA 

Two  days  later  a  boat's  crew,  with  diving  apparatus,  was  sent  from 
the  Brooklyn  to  examine  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  the  flagship  of 
Admiral  Cervera.  Among  the  terrible  wreckage  made  by  the  big  guns 
and  the  exploded  magazines  they  found  a  standard  compass,  by  which 
the  ship  was  steered  and  which  had  tumbled  down  with  the  bridge.  It 
was  heavy,  but  they  brought  it  over  and,  by  permission  of  Captain  Cook, 
presented  it  to  Commodore  Schley. 


474  CLOSING  INCIDENTS 

It  was  a  curious  sight  to  see  these  seamen,  bubbling  over  with 
affection  for  the  Commodore,  shuffle  onto  the  quarter-deck  where  Com 
modore  Schley  was  reading.  One  man  represented  the  entire  crew. 
Two  others  followed,  carrying  the  compass.  They  stepped  close  to  the 
Commodore  and  then  the  spokesman,  in  a  stammering  way,  said:  "Sir, 
the  crew  would  like  to  make  you  a  present." 

Schley  was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant,  his  glasses  in  his  hand  and  his 
paper  on  the  deck.  The  spokesman  hesitated. 

"Well,  my  men,"  said  the  Commodore,  with  an  encouraging  smile, 
and  the  spokesman,  hitching  at  his  trousers,  continued:  "We  found 
this  compass  on  the  Spanish  Admiral's  ship,  and  we  thought  as  how  we 
would  like  to  give  it  to  you  to  remember  how  you  whipped  them." 

"I  am  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  the  Commodore,  with  a  tremor 
in  his  voice,  "but  the  great  credit  of  that  victory  belongs  to  you  boys — 
the  men  behind  the  guns.  Without  you  no  laurels  would  come  to  our 
country.  Thank  you." 

CHEERS  FOR  COMMODORE  SCHLEY 

There  were  three  hearty  cheers  from  the  men,  and  then  Gunner's- 
Mate  Donnelly  touched  his  cap  and  blurted  out,  "We  hope,  sir,  as  how 
you'll  steer  a  straighter  course  than  the  other  fellow  who  owned  it,"  and 
there  was  another  approving  cheer  as  the  men  dispersed. 

With  his  eye  bejeweled  with  a  tear,  the  Commodore  said,  as  he 
turned  away,  "I'd  rather  have  a  thing  like  this  than  the  adulation  of  my 
entire  country." 

A  UNIQUE  BOMBARDMENT 

On  Monday,  the  1 1th  of  July,  in  order  to  convince  the  enemy  in 
Santiago  that  they  were  entirely  surrounded  by  the  army  ashore  and  the 
navy  afloat  and  that  our  great  guns  could  reach  them,  we  began  a  very 
unique  and  curious  sort  of  bombardment.  Santiago  city  lay  six  miles 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS  47V 

back  of  the  harbor  neck  and  about  four  and  one-half  miles  from  any 
straight  line  drawn  from  the  coast.  The  fleet  had  to  keep  out  from  the  shore 
line  fully  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half  to  avoid  the  shallows,  and  so,  to  fire 
into  Santiago  city  meant  in  the  first  place  to  throw  the  immense  shells 
over  hills  2 1 0  feet  high  and  a  distance  of  about  six  miles  at  a  hidden 
city.  The  army  placed  a  man  with  a  wig-wag  flag  and  strong  glasses 
on  the  high  hill  commanding  the  city,  with  orders  to  keep  us  informed 
of  the  fall  of  our  shells.  Again  the  Commander-in-Chief  was  absent  and 
Commodore  Schley  took  charge.  The  Indiana,  the  Texas,  and  the 
Brooklyn  moved  down  to  a  point  about  two  miles  east  of  the  harbor 
entrance,  to  a  point  which  they  believed  to  be  almost  on  a  straight  line 
with  the  city.  Throwing  some  of  their  heavy  guns  over  to  port  so  as  to 
give  the  ships  a  list  and  elevate  the  starboard  guns  a  little  more,  they 
began  to  fire  slowly.  The  first  few  shots  did  not  go  into  the  city,  but 
with  the  aid  of  the  signal  man  the  range  was  very  soon  obtained  and  for 
a  couple  of  hours,  this  fleet,  out  of  sight  of  the  citizens  of  Santiago, 
dropped  shells  almost  exactly  where  they  pleased  in  this  hidden  city. 

EFFECT  OF  THE  FIRING 

The  report  of  the  effect  of  these  shells  is  interesting,  and  it  here 
follows : 

"Twelve  houses  were  completely  wrecked  inside  and  one  house 
was  burned.  Sixteen  eight-inch  shells  struck  within  three  blocks  on 
the  Calla  De  Mariana.  These  excavated  the  ground  to  a  depth  of  about 
four  feet  and  to  a  length  of  about  ten  feet.  The  street  was  macadam 
ized.  It  is  judged  from  the  fact  that  many  of  them  struck  near  the 
water's  edge  that  a  number  of  the  shells  must  have  gone  into  the  water. 
Army  officers  have  stated  that  thirty  or  forty  went  beyond  the  northern 
edge  of  the  bay  into  the  Spanish  lines. 

"A  dozen  or  more  of  the  shells  had  not  exploded,     In  four  of  them 


478  CLOSING  INCIDENTS 

the  base  had  been  simply  blown  out.  In  one  case  a  four-inch  shell, 
which  was  probably  a  stray  shell  fired  during  the  demonstration  at 
Aguadores  on  July  1st,  had  gone  through  a  tree  and  had  exploded  in 
the  ground  beyond.  When  the  severe  effect  of  the  eight-inch  shell  is 
considered  it  is  a  matter  for  congratulation  that  it  was  not  necessary  to 
continue  the  bombardment  longer  and  fire  thirteen-inch  shells,  as  the 
squadron  had  prepared  to  do.  The  effect  of  these  latter  would  undoubt 
edly  have  been  of  a  most  disastrous  character  to  the  town." 

THE  CITY  OF  SANTIAGO  SURRENDERS 

The  same  operation  was  continued  on  Tuesday,  the  1 1th,  by  the 
New  York  and  the  Brooklyn,  and  on  the  14th,  the  city  surrendered. 
The  remainder  of  the  time,  up  to  the  1 4th  of  August,  when  we  were 
ordered  home,  was  spent  in  patrolling  and  visiting  the  earthworks  ashore, 
and  the  city,  and  in  patching  up  the  ship  preparatory  to  our  return  home. 

The  return  of  Hobson  was  made  an  occasion  for  rejoicing  by  the 
fleet.  Preparations  were  made  for  the  sending  of  a  squadron  to  the 
coast  of  Spain  under  Commodore  Watson,  and  this  occasioned  some 
little  excitement,  but  its  abandonment  came  almost  simultaneously  with 
the  announcement,  so  it  was  but  a  ripple. 

THE  TEXAS  STARTS  FOR  HOME 

The  departure  of  the  Texas  on  the  26th  for  home,  the  first  one  of 
the  ships  to  be  detached,  woke  everybody  to  a  state  of  great  enthusiasm, 
and  as  she  left  in  the  evening,  each  ship  cheered  her. 

In  the  meantime  came  the  news  of  the  signing  of  the  peace  pro 
tocol,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  the  1 4th  of  August,  we  started  for  home 
as  a  squadron,  under  the  command  of  Rear-Admiral  Sampson. 

What  a  happy  crowd  we  were,  to  be  sure ;  and  the  happiest  among 
us  was  Commodore  Schley.  Many  a  man  on  these  ships  had  no 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS  479 

hearthstone  of  his  own  to  come  to,  but  the  fact  that  we  were  coming 
back  to  our  own  country,  to  the  United  States,  was  joy  enough.  The 
man  who  had  won  the  fight  at  Santiago  was  one  of  these. 

THE  HERO  OF  SANTIAGO  A  LOVER  OF  HOME 

Since  Schley  had  entered  the  Navy  in  1856  he  has  been  practically 
homeless  so  far  as  permanent  domicile  is  concerned.  Always  a  sea 
fighter,  always  seeking  and  securing  assignments  for  active  duty  on 
shipboard  rather  than  soft  billets  ashore,  as  is  natural  with  a  man  who 
has  served  his  country  for  forty-five  continuous  years,  in  which  he  has 
had  to  risk  his  life  many  times,  Admiral  Schley  has  had  little  time  for 
home  building.  And  yet  the  hero  of  the  battle  of  Santiago  is  as  dear  a 
lover  of  home  and  family  as  any  citizen  of  these  United  States  who, 
by  continual  residence  in  one  settled  place,  has  been  able  to  surround 
himself  with  the  luxuries  and  comforts  which  make  a  home. 

It  might  be  said  that  Admiral  Schley's  home  has  been  the  quarter 
deck  or  the  cabin  of  a  United  States  warship.  But  that  is  not  true. 
He  has  doubtless  enjoyed  his  long  cruises,  and  he  is  a  man  who  enjoys, 
if  he  does  not  court,  danger,  and  he  is  a  lover  of  activity.  But  withal, 
he  loves  such  home  life  as  in  the  brief  periods  ashore  he  has  been  able 
to  enjoy,  and  his  devotion  to  his  wife,  his  two  sons,  and  his  daughter,  is 
as  deep  seated  as  are  the  many  other  traits  of  his  character  so  admired 
by  the  American  people. 

Now  upon  the  retired  list  of  the  Navy,  having  completed  a  service 
of  great  credit,  even  of  renown,  he  will  undoubtedly  devote  himself  to 
the  completion  of  a  home  in  which  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his 
honored  days,  that  will  be  as  much  of  a  pleasure  and  treasure  to  him 
as  has  been  the  gradual  gathering  of  home  furnishings  which  he  has 
been  carrying  out  for  years. 

Every  man,  whatever  his  condition  of  life  may  be,  has  a  pet  theory, 


480  CLOSING  INCIDENTS 

no  matter  how  nebulous,  of  what  his  ideal  home  should  be ;  and  perhaps 
the  more  active  the  life  a  man  leads,  the  more  he  dreams  of  and  pictures 
that  home  and  home  life  which  are  to  be  his  when  the  battle  and  strife 
are  over.  Ever  in  the  midst  of  the  strenuous  life  of  active  service  he 
has  led,  Admiral  Schley  has  been  gathering  material  for  a  home,  and 
when  he  once  sits  down,  surrounded  by  his  lares  and  penates,  there  will 
be  few  more  delightful  homes,  or  more  cordial  hosts  than  will  be  found 
there. 

I  have  seen  him  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  on  the  bridge  of  his 
warship,  straining  his  eyes  for  the  expected  torpedo  attack,  which,  if 
successful,  would  in  all  probability  mean  no  .consummation  of  the  dream 
of  home  to  him.  I  have  stood  by  his  side  in  the  heat  of  battle,  when 
among  excited  men  he  was  the  cool  one,  and  wondered  whether  he  was 
giving  a  thought  to  those  at  his  fireside  in  the  states.  And  then  I  have 
seen  him  in  his  cabin,  carefully  laying  aside  this  little  memento,  or  that 
little  treasure,  to  send  home  to  his  wife  or  his  children,  for  the  adorn 
ment  of  what — whyf  naturally,  their  home. 

HIS  HOME  ON  THE  CRUISER  BROOKLYN 

For  six  months  his  home  was  the  little  cabin  of  the  cruiser  Brook 
lyn,  and  his  daily  promenade,  the  quarter-deck  of  that  ship.  Every  one 
knows  of  his  heroism,  his  devotion  to  his  country,  and  his  splendid  quali 
ties  of  leadership  as  displayed  from  that  steel  home  on  the  sea.  Perhaps 
it  would  interest  those  who  know  of,  or  who  have  seen,  the  ship's  cabin 
in  peace  time,  with  its  beautiful  mahogany  trimmings,  the  elaborate  rugs 
and  hangings,  to  know  just  how  this  temporary  home  of  Admiral  Schley 
looked.  The  mahogany  lining  and  decorations  were  ripped  out,  and  in 
their  place  were  the  lead-colored  bulwarks  of  steel  plate.  The  rugs  and 
the  portieres  were  gone.  The  little  silk  curtains  from  the  portholes  were 
missing,  and  in  their  places  were  rope  nettings  to  keep  the  splinters 


EIGHT-INCH  GUN  DECK. 
(Ixxx) 


CLOSING  INCIDENTS  483 

from  flying,  and  steel  covers  to  keep  shells  from  entering.  The  only  bits 
of  furniture  left  in  the  big  cabin  were  the  round  table  and  a  couple  of 
chairs.  The  breeches  of  two  big  five-inch  guns  swung  into  this  room, 
and  in  the  little  apartment  adjoining,  sometimes  used  as  a  sort  of  sec 
ond  drawing  room,  the  breeches  of  two  six-pounders  rested.  And  when 
a  battle  call  was  sounded,  barefooted,  shirtless  men  would  stream  into 
the  cabins  and  take  possession  of  these  guns,  the  ammunition  carriages 
would  roll  in  the  heavy  shells  and  ammunition  cases,  and  the  Admiral's 
home  would  be  converted  into  a  veritable  pandemonium.  Just  off  one 
side  of  this  general  reception  room,  which  in  times  of  peace  is  undoubt 
edly  very  attractive  and  pretty,  was  the  one  little  spot  which  had  some 
semblance  of  the  real  home.  Here  was  the  little  brass  bedstead,  with 
snowy  white  linen  and  coverlid,  a  skin  rug  on  the  floor,  a  cheval  glass 
and  dresser  in  mahogany,  and,  separated  from  this  room  by  an  attractive 
portiere,  a  perfectly  appointed  little  bathroom. 

THE  DECORATIONS  OF  HIS  CABIN 

Beside  the  bed  in  the  Admiral's  private  cabin  stood  a  tiny  table, 
and  here  and  on  the  dresser  and  walls  were  the  souvenirs  of  his  home 
and  family;  photographs  of  his  wife  and  children,  of  his  daughter's 
country  place  in  Connecticut,  v/here  they  had  all  spent  so  many  delight 
ful  hours ;  a  few  choice  books,  for  the  Admiral  is  a  constant  reader  and 
a  fine  linguist,  so  that  literature  of  various  countries  was  continually  at 
hand,  and  a  few  little  treasures  such  as  are  always  deemed  necessary 
to  man's  comfort  and  happiness  by  the  women  who  love  him. 

It  was  in  the  big  cabin  that  the  Admiral  dined,  and,  here  in  solitary 
state,  with  the  grim  implements  of  war  surrounding  him,  and  alone,  as 
naval  etiquette  demands,  unless  some  officers  from  another  ship  and  of 
equal  rank  should  come  aboard,  his  personal  servants  waited  upon  him. 

We  arrived  in  New  York  harbor  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  of 


484  CLOSING  INCIDENTS 

August.  Nobody  can  fail  to  remember  the  magnificent  welcome 
accorded  to  the  fleet  on  that  day,  or  the  fact  that  Commodore  Schley, 
as  his  ship  came  up  the  Narrows,  received  word  that  an  at  least  tempo 
rarily  grateful  government  had  promoted  him  to  the  rank  of  rear  admiral. 
Two-thirds  nearly  of  all  the  ships  and  excursion  boats  that  gathered  to 
meet  the  fleet  made  their  object  of  interest  the  cruiser  Brooklyn  and 
Rear- Admiral  Schley,  and  it  was  evident  then,  as  it  is  now,  although  the 
sentiment  has  continued  to  grow,  that  the  great  public  had  marked  him 
as  an  American  naval  hero. 

Commodore  Schley  had  been  surprised  as  the  Brooklyn  passed  the 
Texas,  to  hear  a  rear  admiral's  salute  fired,  but  when  he  got  a  little 
beyond  and  a  press  boat  threw  aboard  a  notification  of  his  promotion, 
he  was  as  joyous  as  a  child.  Of  his  reception  ashore,  of  his  triumph 
on  the  day  of  the  Dewey  celebration — a  triumph  second  only  to 
Dewey's  own  reception — and  of  his  continual  growth  in  the  affections 
of  the  American  people  and  their  admiration  for  his  courage  in  battle 
and  graciousness  under  criticism,  every  good  American  knows.  The 
failure  of  innuendo,  of  jealous  criticism,  and  of  bureaucratic  partiality  is 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  despite  the  trial  through  which  he  has  been 
he  has  emerged  unscathed,  receiving  from  that  other  great  sea  warrior 
and  American  hero,  Admiral  George  Dewey,  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the 
closing  work  of  his  career,  the  successful  campaign  off  southern  Cuba. 


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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

BookSlip-50m-9,'70(N9877s8)458 — A-31/5, 


N9  826527 

Graham,  G.E. 

Schley  and  Santiago. 


E727 
G74 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
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